CVE-2005-1696 in PostNuke
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in PostNuke 0.750 and 0.760RC3 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) skin or (2) paletteid parameter to demo.php in the Xanthia module, or (3) the serverName parameter to config.php in the Multisites (aka NS-Multisites) module.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/07/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-1696 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness affecting PostNuke content management systems version 0.750 and 0.760RC3. This flaw resides within the Xanthia module's demo.php script and the NS-Multisites module's config.php script, creating multiple attack vectors that enable remote code execution through malicious web script injection. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic failure in input validation and output encoding, where user-supplied parameters are directly incorporated into web responses without proper sanitization. This weakness allows attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of the victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further exploitation of the compromised system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient parameter validation in three specific locations within the PostNuke codebase. The skin parameter in demo.php, the paletteid parameter in the same file, and the serverName parameter in config.php all accept user input that flows directly into HTML output without proper HTML escaping or sanitization. This pattern aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities resulting from inadequate input validation and output encoding. The vulnerability operates at the application layer, exploiting the trust relationship between the web application and its users, where legitimate user input is manipulated to serve malicious payloads. Attackers can craft specially formatted URLs containing script tags or other malicious content that gets executed when victims access the affected pages.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-1696 extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling sophisticated attack chains that leverage the compromised system for further infiltration. When exploited, these vulnerabilities can allow attackers to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or inject persistent malicious content that affects all users of the compromised system. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of PostNuke's module architecture, specifically targeting the Xanthia theming system and the multisite configuration capabilities. This represents a significant risk to organizations relying on PostNuke for web content management, as successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that these parameters are likely accessible through standard web navigation and configuration interfaces, making exploitation relatively straightforward for attackers with basic web security knowledge.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-1696 must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements to prevent similar vulnerabilities. The primary solution involves implementing proper input validation and output encoding across all user-supplied parameters within the affected modules. This includes sanitizing all inputs through whitelisting mechanisms, applying HTML escaping to dynamic content, and implementing proper parameter validation routines. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads targeting these specific parameters. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST guidelines for web application security. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar input validation weaknesses in other parts of the application. The remediation process should also include updating to patched versions of PostNuke where available, as this vulnerability was likely addressed in subsequent releases through proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms that align with ATT&CK framework techniques for command and control operations.