CVE-2005-0487 in ESupport
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in index.php for Kayako ESupport 2.3.1, and possibly other versions, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTML and web script via the nav parameter.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/30/2019
The CVE-2005-0487 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in Kayako ESupport version 2.3.1 and potentially other iterations of the software. This vulnerability resides within the index.php script and specifically targets the nav parameter handling mechanism. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute malicious HTML and web scripts within the context of affected user sessions, creating a significant security risk for organizations utilizing this support ticketing system. The vulnerability operates by failing to properly sanitize or validate user input passed through the nav parameter, allowing malicious payloads to be executed when the application processes and displays this data.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting as a code injection flaw where untrusted data is incorporated into web page content without proper validation or encoding. The flaw manifests when the application accepts user-supplied input through the nav parameter and directly incorporates it into the HTML output without appropriate sanitization measures. This creates an environment where attackers can craft malicious URLs containing script tags or other HTML elements that execute when users navigate to the affected page. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows attackers to manipulate the application's navigation behavior while simultaneously executing arbitrary code within the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement. Attackers can leverage this flaw to hijack user sessions, redirect victims to malicious websites, or even exploit the vulnerability to escalate privileges within the application. When users interact with the affected Kayako ESupport system, they become unwitting participants in the execution of malicious scripts that can persistently compromise their browsing sessions. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the web application by allowing unauthorized code execution, potentially leading to complete compromise of user accounts and sensitive support ticket data. Organizations may face reputational damage, regulatory compliance issues, and potential legal consequences if user data is compromised through this vector.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-0487 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected Kayako ESupport installations to the latest available versions that address this vulnerability. Organizations should implement input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent user-supplied data from being executed as code within the application context. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded and executed. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads targeting this specific vulnerability. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar input validation weaknesses in other application components. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for scripting and T1566 for phishing, highlighting the need for comprehensive security controls that address both the technical flaw and potential attack vectors that could exploit it.