CVE-2005-1313 in Passwd
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Horde Passwd module before 2.2.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the parent s frame page title.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/08/2018
The CVE-2005-1313 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Horde Passwd module, a component of the Horde web application framework that was widely used for managing user accounts and authentication. This vulnerability existed in versions prior to 2.2.2 and specifically targeted the module's handling of user input within the parent s frame page title parameter. The flaw allowed remote attackers to inject malicious scripts or HTML code that would execute in the context of other users' browsers when they visited affected pages. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting attacks where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurred through the manipulation of the parent frame page title parameter within the Horde Passwd module. When users navigated to pages containing this vulnerable parameter, the malicious code injected by attackers would be rendered in the browser context of legitimate users. This created a persistent threat where attackers could execute scripts in the victim's browser session, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or other malicious activities. The vulnerability was particularly dangerous because it leveraged the trust relationship between the web application and its users, allowing attackers to exploit the legitimate application interface to deliver malicious payloads.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-1313 extended beyond simple script injection, as it could enable attackers to perform sophisticated attacks such as cookie theft, session manipulation, and redirection to malicious sites. Users who were authenticated to the Horde application would be vulnerable to attacks that could compromise their accounts and potentially lead to broader system compromise. The vulnerability was classified under the ATT&CK technique T1566 for Phishing and T1059 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, as it provided attackers with mechanisms to deliver malicious code through web interfaces. Organizations running vulnerable versions of Horde were at risk of unauthorized access, data breaches, and potential lateral movement within their networks if the compromised application had access to sensitive resources.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate patching of the Horde Passwd module to version 2.2.2 or later, which contained proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. System administrators should have implemented proper parameter validation to sanitize all user inputs before rendering them in web pages, particularly in frame title parameters. Additional protective measures included implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution, using proper HTML encoding for all dynamic content, and conducting regular security assessments of web applications. The vulnerability also highlighted the importance of input validation and output encoding practices, which are fundamental security controls that align with the OWASP Top 10 security principles and the defense-in-depth strategy recommended by NIST cybersecurity frameworks. Organizations should have established secure coding practices and regular security updates to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other web applications within their infrastructure.