CVE-2005-0458 in osCommerce
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in contact_us.php in osCommerce 2.2-MS2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the enquiry parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0458 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the osCommerce 2.2-MS2 e-commerce platform, specifically affecting the contact_us.php script. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79 which defines improper neutralization of input during web page generation, commonly known as cross-site scripting. The flaw exists in how the application processes user input through the enquiry parameter, failing to properly sanitize or encode data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content. This allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary HTML or JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers when they view the affected page.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the lack of input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the osCommerce application's contact form processing. When a user submits a message through the contact_us.php form, the enquiry parameter is directly included in the page response without appropriate sanitization measures. This creates an environment where an attacker can craft malicious input containing script tags or other HTML elements that get executed by the victim's browser. The vulnerability is classified as a reflected XSS attack since the malicious payload is reflected back to the user through the web application's response. Attackers can leverage this weakness to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect victims to malicious websites.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-0458 extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable sophisticated attack vectors within the osCommerce ecosystem. An attacker could inject malicious scripts that capture user credentials, manipulate the shopping cart functionality, or even escalate privileges within the application. The vulnerability affects the integrity of user interactions and can compromise the trust relationship between customers and the e-commerce platform. Given that osCommerce was widely deployed in retail environments, the potential for widespread impact increases significantly, as compromised user sessions could lead to financial fraud, data breaches, and reputational damage. This vulnerability also violates the principle of least privilege and proper input validation, as it demonstrates inadequate security controls at the application layer.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-0458 should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding practices throughout the application. The most effective immediate fix involves sanitizing all user-provided input through proper HTML entity encoding before rendering content in web pages, specifically addressing the enquiry parameter in contact_us.php. Organizations should also implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and prevent unauthorized code injection. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, as this flaw demonstrates a pattern of insufficient input sanitization common in legacy web applications. The remediation process should include updating to supported versions of osCommerce where these security issues have been addressed and implementing proper web application firewall rules to detect and block malicious payloads. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1566.001 (Phishing with Malicious Attachments) and T1059.007 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript) as it enables attackers to execute malicious scripts through user interaction with compromised web pages.