CVE-2005-1359 in text.cgi
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in text.cgi script allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the argument.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/24/2017
The CVE-2005-1359 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw in the text.cgi script that enables remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within victim browsers. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically manifesting as a weakness in input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The flaw occurs when the text.cgi script fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input parameters, allowing malicious actors to inject harmful code through the argument parameter.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the fundamental principle of XSS attacks where unvalidated input is directly embedded into web pages served to users without proper HTML escaping or sanitization. When a user visits a page containing malicious script injected through the vulnerable argument parameter, the browser executes the code within the context of the victim's session, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of the user. The vulnerability demonstrates a critical failure in the application's security architecture where input validation occurs too late in the processing chain or not at all.
Operationally, this vulnerability poses significant risks to web applications that rely on the text.cgi script for content handling or user interaction. Attackers can leverage this flaw to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, deface web pages, or perform actions that appear to originate from legitimate users. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can facilitate more sophisticated attacks such as credential harvesting or privilege escalation within the application's security boundaries. The remote nature of this vulnerability means that attackers can exploit it from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the target system.
Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent such vulnerabilities from occurring. The recommended mitigations include implementing strict input sanitization routines that filter or escape special characters before processing user input, utilizing parameterized queries where applicable, and implementing proper HTML escaping for all dynamic content. Additionally, deploying web application firewalls and security headers such as Content Security Policy can provide additional layers of protection. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to OWASP Top Ten security guidelines, particularly those addressing input validation and output encoding. Organizations should also consider implementing automated security testing tools that can identify similar vulnerabilities during the development lifecycle, as this type of flaw often remains undetected until exploited in production environments. The remediation process requires thorough code review and the implementation of defense-in-depth strategies to ensure that all user-supplied data is properly validated and sanitized before being processed or displayed within web applications.