CVE-2005-1436 in osTicket
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in osTicket allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) the t parameter to view.php, (2) the osticket_title parameter to header.php, (3) the em parameter to admin_login.php, (4) the e parameter to user_login.php, (5) the err parameter to open_submit.php, or (6) the name and subject fields when adding a ticket.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/01/2019
The CVE-2005-1436 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting the osTicket support ticket system, a widely deployed open-source help desk solution. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's core components, creating multiple entry points for malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content. The affected parameters span across several key administrative and user-facing pages, demonstrating a systemic weakness in the application's security architecture that undermines its fundamental integrity.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through multiple vectors that bypass proper sanitization of user-supplied input. The t parameter in view.php allows attackers to inject malicious scripts when processing ticket identifiers, while the osticket_title parameter in header.php creates an injection point during page title rendering. The em parameter in admin_login.php targets the administrator authentication interface, potentially enabling credential theft or privilege escalation. User-facing parameters including the e parameter in user_login.php and err parameter in open_submit.php provide additional attack surfaces for unauthenticated users. Most critically, the name and subject fields during ticket creation allow any user to inject malicious content that persists in the ticket database and executes when viewed by other users.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-1436 extends beyond simple script execution, creating potential for severe security breaches within affected organizations. Attackers could leverage these vulnerabilities to steal session cookies from authenticated users, redirect them to malicious sites, or inject persistent malware that executes in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability's presence in administrative interfaces increases the risk of privilege escalation attacks, potentially allowing attackers to gain full control over the help desk system. Additionally, the persistence of injected content in ticket databases means that the malicious scripts execute whenever affected tickets are viewed, creating a continuous threat vector that compounds over time.
Organizations implementing osTicket should immediately prioritize patching the vulnerability through official updates from the osTicket development team, as the affected versions contain fundamental security flaws that cannot be adequately mitigated through configuration changes alone. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1566, targeting web applications through injection flaws. Security teams should implement comprehensive input validation at all application entry points, enforce proper output encoding for all dynamic content, and conduct regular security audits of web applications to identify similar vulnerabilities. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious patterns in user agent strings and URL parameters that may indicate exploitation attempts, while incident response procedures should include specific protocols for handling potential XSS compromise scenarios in help desk systems.