CVE-2005-2011 in paFAQ
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in paFAQ 1.0 Beta 4 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML, as demonstrated via the id parameter in a Question action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/10/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-2011 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in paFAQ version 1.0 Beta 4, a web-based FAQ management system. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security weakness that allows attackers to inject malicious client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The specific flaw manifests through improper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's handling of user-supplied data.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the 'id' parameter within the Question action of the paFAQ application. When an attacker crafts a malicious payload and injects it into this parameter, the application fails to properly sanitize or encode the input before rendering it in the web page response. This allows the injected script to execute in the context of the victim's browser, potentially enabling session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious websites. The vulnerability specifically affects the application's ability to distinguish between legitimate user input and malicious script code, creating an attack surface where untrusted data flows directly into the browser without adequate security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can be leveraged to compromise user sessions and steal sensitive information from authenticated users. Attackers can craft sophisticated payloads that exploit the XSS flaw to capture cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect victims to phishing sites designed to harvest login credentials. The vulnerability affects all users of the affected paFAQ version, regardless of their authentication status, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the application handles sensitive information or user data. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires minimal privileges and can be executed through standard web browser interactions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The primary defense involves sanitizing all user-supplied input before processing and ensuring that any data rendered in web pages is properly escaped or encoded to prevent script execution. Security measures should include implementing Content Security Policy headers, using secure coding practices that enforce proper input validation, and regularly updating the application to patched versions. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script injection attempts, while conducting regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications. The remediation process requires immediate attention as this vulnerability represents a significant risk to web application security and user data protection, aligning with the ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter - JavaScript.