CVE-2005-1316 in Accounts
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Horde Accounts module before 2.1.2 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-2005-1316 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Horde Accounts module, specifically affecting versions prior to 2.1.2. This vulnerability resides in the web application's input validation mechanisms and demonstrates a critical weakness in how the system processes user-supplied data within the parent s frame page title parameter. The Horde framework, widely used for web-based groupware applications, was found to inadequately sanitize input when rendering page titles, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts within the context of authenticated users' browsers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious payload and injects it into the parent s frame page title field. When the affected application renders this title within the HTML output, the injected script executes in the victim's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability specifically targets the rendering pipeline where user input flows directly into the HTML document without proper sanitization or encoding. This flaw falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which encompasses various methods of injecting malicious scripts into web applications. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it leverages the parent frame context, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate the entire application interface and compromise user sessions.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-1316 extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to perform sophisticated social engineering attacks against authenticated users. When an authenticated user views a page containing the malicious title, the injected script executes automatically, potentially stealing session cookies, redirecting to phishing sites, or modifying application behavior. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the entire application interface and can lead to privilege escalation if the compromised user has elevated access rights. Attackers can exploit this weakness to establish persistent access to user accounts, making it particularly dangerous for applications handling sensitive data. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering attacks through malicious content injection, and specifically targets the web application attack surface through client-side code execution.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve immediate patching of the Horde Accounts module to version 2.1.2 or later, which includes proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation at multiple layers of the application, including server-side sanitization of all user-supplied data before rendering. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script execution, while proper HTML encoding of dynamic content prevents malicious scripts from executing. Security teams should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments of web applications and implement automated scanning tools to identify similar input validation flaws. The fix typically involves ensuring that all user-provided input is properly escaped or encoded before being rendered in HTML contexts, which directly addresses the root cause of the vulnerability. Organizations must also establish secure coding practices that emphasize input validation and output encoding as fundamental security controls, particularly for applications handling user-generated content and dynamic page elements.