CVE-2004-2566 in Liveforum
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in LiveWorld products, possibly including (1) LiveForum, (2) LiveQ&A, (3) LiveChat, and (4) LiveFocusGroup, allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the q parameter in (a) search.jsp, (b) findclub!execute.jspa, and (c) search!execute.jspa.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/29/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-2566 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting multiple LiveWorld products including LiveForum, LiveQ&A, LiveChat, and LiveFocusGroup. This weakness resides in the handling of user input within specific web application endpoints, creating a persistent security risk that allows malicious actors to execute arbitrary code within the context of affected users' browsers. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize or encode user-supplied data passed through the q parameter in three distinct.jsp files: search.jsp, findclubexecute.jspa.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices within the LiveWorld application framework. When users submit search queries through the affected parameters, the application processes these inputs without sufficient sanitization measures, allowing attackers to inject malicious javascript code or html markup. This flaw directly maps to CWE-79, which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is sent to a web browser without proper validation or encoding. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited remotely, requiring no special privileges or authentication to initiate attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables sophisticated attack vectors that can compromise user sessions, steal sensitive information, or redirect users to malicious websites. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform session hijacking, execute malicious scripts in the context of authenticated users, or manipulate the application's functionality to serve as a launching point for further attacks. The implications are particularly severe given that these products are likely used for collaborative or community-based interactions where users may have elevated privileges or access to sensitive data. This vulnerability can be classified under ATT&CK technique T1566, specifically targeting the initial access phase through malicious web content delivery.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-2566 should prioritize immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all affected endpoints. Organizations should implement strict parameter validation that rejects or sanitizes potentially malicious input before processing, while also ensuring that all output data is properly encoded for the target context. The recommended approach includes implementing a comprehensive web application firewall policy that monitors and filters traffic for known attack patterns, deploying content security policies to restrict script execution, and conducting thorough code reviews to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in the application architecture, while user education about the risks of clicking suspicious links or entering untrusted data remains crucial for overall security posture maintenance.