CVE-2005-0914 in CPG Dragonfly CMS
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in CPG Dragonfly 9.0.2.0 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) the profile parameter to index.php or (2) the cat parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0914 represents a critical security flaw in CPG Dragonfly 9.0.2.0, a content management system that was widely used for web publishing and community management during the early 2000s. This vulnerability manifests as multiple cross-site scripting flaws that enable remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of affected web applications. The specific attack vectors involve the manipulation of two distinct parameters within the index.php script, namely the profile parameter and the cat parameter, both of which fail to properly sanitize user input before rendering it in web pages. These weaknesses create persistent security risks that can be exploited by malicious actors to compromise user sessions and manipulate web content.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the CPG Dragonfly application framework. When users provide data through the profile or cat parameters, the system fails to properly filter or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This allows attackers to inject malicious payloads that execute in the browsers of unsuspecting users who visit affected pages. The vulnerability specifically aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without adequate validation or encoding. The flaw operates at the application layer, targeting the web interface rather than underlying system components, making it particularly dangerous for user-facing web applications that rely on dynamic content generation.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-0914 extends beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers to potentially hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, or redirect users to malicious websites. An attacker could craft payloads that exploit the profile parameter to inject malicious JavaScript that captures cookies or session tokens, thereby gaining unauthorized access to user accounts. The cat parameter vulnerability allows for similar exploitation patterns, potentially enabling attackers to manipulate category-based content displays or inject malicious advertisements. These vulnerabilities can be leveraged as part of broader attack strategies within the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically under the techniques related to credential access and command and control operations. The persistence of these flaws in a widely deployed CMS platform means that multiple websites could be simultaneously compromised, creating cascading security risks across interconnected web applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement strict validation of all user-supplied data, particularly parameters used in dynamic content generation, and ensure that special characters are properly escaped before rendering in web contexts. The recommended approach involves adopting a whitelist-based input validation system that only accepts known good characters and formats, combined with proper HTML encoding of output data. Security patches should be applied immediately to upgrade to versions that address these specific XSS vulnerabilities, as the original CPG Dragonfly 9.0.2.0 release was vulnerable to these attacks. Additionally, implementing a content security policy can provide an additional layer of protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be executed within the application context. The remediation process should also include comprehensive security testing to identify any other potential injection points within the application's codebase, ensuring that similar vulnerabilities do not exist in other parameters or functions.