CVE-2005-0641 in Unicenter Asset Management
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Reporter for Computer Associates (CA) Unicenter Asset Management (UAM) 4.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTML or web script via the (1) name or (2) description in a report template.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/21/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0641 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Computer Associates Unicenter Asset Management 4.0 system, specifically affecting the Reporter component. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the web interface that processes report template parameters. The flaw exists in how the system handles user-supplied data when rendering report templates, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code within the context of other users' browsers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through two primary attack vectors that target the name and description fields of report templates. When an attacker crafts malicious input containing HTML or JavaScript code and submits it through these parameters, the system fails to properly escape or filter the content before rendering it in the web interface. This lack of proper sanitization allows the injected code to execute in the browser context of legitimate users who view the affected report templates, making it a classic persistent cross-site scripting vulnerability.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations utilizing CA Unicenter Asset Management 4.0, particularly in enterprise environments where multiple users access shared reporting interfaces. The impact extends beyond simple data theft, as attackers could potentially execute malicious scripts that steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or perform unauthorized actions within the application. The vulnerability's persistence nature means that once an attacker successfully injects malicious code, it remains active until the report template is modified or deleted, creating ongoing exposure for affected systems.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. This classification emphasizes the fundamental weakness in input validation and output encoding practices within the application's web interface. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001, which covers phishing with malicious attachments and links, as attackers could leverage this vulnerability to deliver malicious payloads through compromised report templates. Organizations should consider implementing proper input validation, output encoding, and content security policies to mitigate this risk. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure coding practices in web applications and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of user input handling mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of input sanitization measures, proper HTML escaping of user-supplied content, and regular security updates from CA. Organizations should also consider network segmentation, monitoring for suspicious template modifications, and user education regarding the risks of viewing untrusted report data. The remediation process requires careful attention to the application's input validation logic, ensuring that all user-provided data is properly sanitized before being processed or displayed in web interfaces. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and content security policies can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts.