CVE-2004-2332 in WWW::Form
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in CPAN WWW::Form before 1.13 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/17/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-2332 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness in the CPAN WWW::Form module prior to version 1.13. This issue falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is a fundamental web application security flaw that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The WWW::Form module is a perl library used for creating and processing HTML forms within web applications, making it a critical component in many perl-based web systems. The vulnerability specifically affects the module's handling of user input and form data processing, creating opportunities for attackers to execute malicious code in the context of victims' browsers.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the WWW::Form module. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious input data that contains script tags or other HTML elements, which are then processed and rendered without proper sanitization. The unknown vectors mentioned in the description suggest that the vulnerability may manifest through multiple attack surfaces within the module's form handling capabilities, potentially including field name processing, form submission handling, or data rendering functions. This lack of specific vector identification makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it may be exploitable through various input channels that security teams might not have considered during their assessments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows remote attackers to perform a range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and defacement of web applications that utilize the affected module. When exploited, XSS vulnerabilities can enable attackers to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or inject persistent malicious content that affects all users of the vulnerable application. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation can occur without requiring physical access to the target system or direct network interaction with the vulnerable server, making it particularly attractive to attackers seeking scalable exploitation opportunities. Applications using the WWW::Form module for form processing are at risk of having their user sessions compromised and their data integrity compromised.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to version 1.13 or later of the WWW::Form module, which contains the necessary fixes for the identified XSS vulnerabilities. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding practices throughout their web applications, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being processed or displayed. Security measures should include implementing Content Security Policy headers, using proper HTML escaping functions, and conducting regular security assessments of perl web applications. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 for credential access and T1566 for social engineering, as attackers can leverage these XSS flaws to establish persistent access to user sessions and manipulate web content. Additionally, this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date dependencies and following secure coding practices to prevent injection vulnerabilities that could compromise entire web application ecosystems.