CVE-2005-1030 in Auction House
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Active Auction House allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) ReturnURL, (2) password, (3) username parameter, (4) ReturnURL parameter to account.asp, (5) Table, (6) Title parameter to sendpassword.asp, or (7) itemid to watchthisitem.asp.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/15/2025
The CVE-2005-1030 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the Active Auction House web application that exposes multiple attack vectors allowing remote adversaries to execute malicious scripts within victim browsers. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically encompassing multiple parameter injection points that bypass proper input validation mechanisms. The affected application components include account.asp, sendpassword.asp, and watchthisitem.asp pages, each presenting distinct pathways for malicious code injection through carefully crafted user-supplied parameters.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of user input across several critical parameters including ReturnURL, password, username, Table, Title, and itemid fields. When these parameters are processed without proper encoding or validation, malicious actors can inject HTML tags and JavaScript code that executes in the context of legitimate user sessions. The ReturnURL parameter in account.asp particularly represents a high-risk vector as it often directly influences redirect behavior, allowing attackers to craft malicious URLs that could redirect users to phishing sites or execute persistent script injections. Similarly, the password and username parameters in the authentication flow present opportunities for attackers to inject scripts that could capture credentials or manipulate session states.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables sophisticated attack patterns that can compromise user sessions and facilitate further exploitation. Attackers can leverage these XSS vectors to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive information, manipulate auction processes, or redirect users to malicious domains. The vulnerability's presence in the sendpassword.asp page with Title parameter injection creates additional risk as it allows attackers to inject malicious content during password recovery processes, potentially capturing reset tokens or redirecting users to credential harvesting sites. The itemid parameter in watchthisitem.asp presents another attack surface where malicious injection could manipulate auction item displays or inject tracking code.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 for Phishing and T1531 for Account Access Through Social Engineering, as the XSS capabilities enable attackers to craft convincing phishing pages that appear legitimate to users. The attack surface covers multiple application functions including user authentication, password recovery, and auction item management, making it particularly dangerous for e-commerce environments. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices and highlights the importance of implementing comprehensive sanitization routines for all user-supplied data. The vulnerability's age and widespread nature indicate that similar issues may exist in legacy applications, making it a valuable case study for understanding how insufficient security controls can create persistent risks in web applications.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of defense including input validation, output encoding, and Content Security Policy implementations to mitigate this vulnerability. The recommended mitigations include proper HTML encoding of all user-supplied parameters, implementing strict input validation routines, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should focus on identifying similar injection vulnerabilities across all application components. The vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of secure coding practices and the need for comprehensive security testing throughout the software development lifecycle.