CVE-2005-1231 in JAWS
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the NewTerm function in GlossaryModel.php in JAWS 0.4 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) term or (2) description.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/08/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-1231 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the JAWS content management system version 0.4. This security weakness resides in the GlossaryModel.php file where the NewTerm function fails to properly sanitize user input before processing. The vulnerability specifically affects two input parameters: the term and description fields, which are commonly used in glossary management interfaces. Attackers can exploit this weakness by submitting malicious script code through these fields, which then gets executed in the context of other users' browsers when they view the affected glossary entries.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting as a code injection flaw where untrusted data is embedded into web pages without proper validation or escaping. This particular implementation flaw occurs during the NewTerm function execution where user-supplied data flows directly into the output without appropriate sanitization measures. The vulnerability exists because the application does not perform input validation or output encoding on the term and description parameters, allowing attackers to inject malicious HTML or JavaScript code that executes in the victim's browser context. This creates a persistent threat where malicious code can be stored and subsequently executed whenever legitimate users access the affected glossary content.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations using JAWS 0.4 as their content management platform. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to potentially enable session hijacking, credential theft, and further exploitation of the compromised systems. Attackers could inject malicious scripts that redirect users to phishing sites, steal cookies and session tokens, or even deliver malware payloads. The vulnerability's persistence stems from the fact that once malicious content is stored in the glossary, it remains active until manually removed, creating a long-term threat vector. This makes it particularly dangerous for collaborative environments where multiple users contribute to glossary entries, as a single compromised entry can affect all users who view the content.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal technical skill and can be achieved through standard web application penetration testing techniques. Attackers typically need only access to the glossary management interface to submit malicious payloads, making the attack surface relatively broad. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding measures as immediate mitigations, including the implementation of proper HTML entity encoding for all user-supplied content before rendering. Additionally, regular security audits of web applications should include thorough testing of all input fields for XSS vulnerabilities, particularly in content management systems where user-generated content is prevalent. The remediation approach should follow established security practices such as the OWASP Input Validation and Output Encoding guidelines, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being processed or displayed to end users.