CVE-2004-2550 in Sandsurfer
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in unspecified Perl scripts in SandSurfer before 1.7.1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML, which is later executed by a target who views reports containing the injected data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/19/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-2550 represents a critical security flaw affecting SandSurfer software versions prior to 1.7.1. This issue manifests as multiple cross-site scripting vulnerabilities embedded within unspecified Perl scripts that constitute the core functionality of the application. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the reporting features of SandSurfer, creating an exploitable condition where malicious actors can inject arbitrary web script or HTML code into the system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when SandSurfer processes user-supplied data within its reporting modules without proper sanitization of special characters or script tags. When legitimate users view reports containing this maliciously injected data, the embedded scripts execute within their browser context, potentially leading to unauthorized actions such as cookie theft, session hijacking, or redirection to malicious websites. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, where applications fail to properly validate or escape user-controllable data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages.
The operational impact of CVE-2004-2550 extends beyond simple data corruption or display issues, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be leveraged by attackers to compromise user sessions and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the SandSurfer application's reporting functionality, which serves as a critical component for data visualization and analysis. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can manipulate the application's output to deliver malicious payloads that persist in reports, making the attack surface particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple users who view these reports over time.
From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which involves the exploitation of web applications through malicious input injection. The attack chain typically begins with an attacker identifying a reporting feature within SandSurfer that accepts user input, followed by crafting malicious payloads containing script tags or other HTML elements that bypass input validation. The subsequent execution occurs when legitimate users access these compromised reports, creating a vector for session manipulation, credential theft, or redirection to phishing sites. Organizations relying on SandSurfer for business intelligence or web analytics would face significant operational risk, as the vulnerability could enable attackers to compromise user sessions and potentially escalate privileges within the application's security model. The remediation approach requires comprehensive input sanitization, output encoding, and the implementation of proper content security policies to prevent script execution in user-generated content contexts.