CVE-2005-1622 in MetaCart e-Shop
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in productsByCategory.asp in MetaCart e-Shop allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the strCatalog_NAME parameter.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/01/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-1622 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the MetaCart e-Shop shopping cart software, specifically affecting the productsByCategory.asp component. This weakness resides in the application's handling of user-supplied input through the strCatalog_NAME parameter, which is processed without proper sanitization or validation mechanisms. The vulnerability classifies under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize input, making it susceptible to malicious code injection attacks that can compromise user sessions and data integrity.
The technical exploitation of this XSS vulnerability occurs when remote attackers manipulate the strCatalog_NAME parameter to inject malicious scripts or HTML content into the web application's response. When the vulnerable page processes this parameter and renders it back to users without appropriate encoding or filtering, the injected code executes within the context of other users' browsers. This creates a persistent threat where attackers can steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or deface the e-commerce platform's interface. The vulnerability specifically targets the product category display functionality, making it particularly dangerous for online retail environments where user trust and transaction security are paramount.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, deface the e-commerce site, or redirect customers to phishing pages designed to capture sensitive information such as login credentials or payment details. In the context of e-commerce platforms, this vulnerability poses significant risks to both business operations and customer data protection, potentially leading to financial losses, brand reputation damage, and regulatory compliance violations. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires minimal technical expertise to exploit, making it a popular target for automated attack tools and script kiddies.
Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent such vulnerabilities from occurring in the future. The recommended mitigations include implementing proper parameter sanitization, employing context-specific output encoding for all user-supplied data, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious links and T1548.001 for privilege escalation through session manipulation. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar input validation weaknesses, particularly in legacy e-commerce systems that may not have been updated to modern security standards. The remediation process should also involve updating to supported versions of MetaCart e-Shop or implementing proper security patches that address the root cause of the input sanitization failure.