CVE-2004-2603 in Help Center Live
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Search module in UberTec Help Center Live (HCL) allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the find parameter to index.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/29/2019
The CVE-2004-2603 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the UberTec Help Center Live Search module, specifically targeting the index.php endpoint. This vulnerability resides in the handling of user-supplied input through the find parameter, which is processed without adequate sanitization or validation mechanisms. The flaw enables malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content directly into the application's response, creating a persistent security risk that affects all users interacting with the vulnerable system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly escape or filter user input before incorporating it into dynamic web content. When the find parameter is submitted through the Search module, the system processes this input without applying appropriate output encoding or input validation controls. This allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that, when executed in the context of other users' browsers, can perform unauthorized actions such as stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or defacing the help center interface. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through standard HTTP requests without requiring authentication or special privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it provides attackers with a foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the target environment. Users who interact with the compromised help center may unknowingly execute malicious scripts that can harvest sensitive information, manipulate the application's functionality, or serve as a launching point for further exploitation. The persistence of this vulnerability means that once exploited, it can affect multiple users over time until proper patching occurs, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the help center serves as a primary communication channel for customer support or technical assistance.
Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent the injection of malicious content. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting as a critical weakness in web applications, and it maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments or links. Organizations should deploy web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads, implement proper input sanitization routines, and conduct thorough code reviews to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be maintained to ensure comprehensive protection against such injection-based attacks. The remediation process requires developers to ensure all user-supplied inputs are properly validated and encoded before being rendered in web pages, following established security best practices for web application development.