CVE-2004-2246 in Goollery
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Goollery before 0.04b allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTML or web script via the conversation_id parameter to viewpic.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/14/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-2246 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Goollery application prior to version 0.04b. This security weakness resides in the viewpic.php script which fails to properly sanitize user input parameters, specifically the conversation_id parameter that is processed through HTTP GET requests. The vulnerability enables malicious actors to execute arbitrary HTML and JavaScript code within the context of a victim's browser session, creating a significant risk for users interacting with the affected application. The flaw manifests when user-supplied data flows directly into the application's output without adequate validation or encoding mechanisms, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads that persist and execute in the target environment.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79 which defines the weakness of improper neutralization of input during web page generation, commonly known as cross-site scripting. The vulnerability operates by accepting unsanitized input through the conversation_id parameter and subsequently rendering this data within the web page response without proper HTML escaping or encoding. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious URLs containing script tags or other HTML elements that get executed when the vulnerable page loads. The attack vector specifically targets the HTTP GET method where parameters are passed directly in the URL, making it particularly easy to exploit through social engineering techniques or by embedding malicious links in emails, forums, or other web content. The lack of input validation and output encoding creates a persistent security gap that allows attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, defacement, or redirection to malicious sites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it provides attackers with the capability to manipulate user sessions and potentially escalate privileges within the application's context. When exploited successfully, the XSS vulnerability enables attackers to access sensitive user information, modify content displayed to other users, or redirect victims to malicious websites designed to harvest credentials or install malware. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the application's user interactions, potentially compromising the trust relationship between users and the application. Users who view infected pages become unwitting participants in the attack, executing malicious code that can persistently compromise their browsing environment and potentially spread to other systems within their network. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical skill, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by attackers of varying skill levels to compromise user sessions and data integrity.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The primary defense involves sanitizing all user-supplied input through proper parameter validation and encoding before rendering any content to users. Specifically, developers should implement strict input filtering to reject or escape special characters that could be used in script injection attempts, particularly the angle brackets, quotes, and other HTML metacharacters. The application should employ context-appropriate output encoding for all parameters rendered in web pages, ensuring that any user-supplied data is properly escaped before being included in HTML output. Additionally, implementing a Content Security Policy (CSP) header can provide an additional layer of protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded and executed within the application context. Organizations should also consider implementing proper session management practices and regular security testing to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following secure coding practices and the principle of least privilege in web application development, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for scripting and T1566 for social engineering attacks that exploit such vulnerabilities.