CVE-2005-2077 in Hosting Controller
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in error.asp for Hosting Controller allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the error parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/29/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-2077 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Hosting Controller web application's error handling mechanism. This issue specifically affects the error.asp component which processes error parameters submitted by users, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding practices within the application's error processing routine, allowing attackers to manipulate the error parameter and inject malicious content that gets rendered to unsuspecting users.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows the standard XSS attack pattern where an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing script code within the error parameter field. When a victim accesses this specially crafted URL, the Hosting Controller application processes the malformed input through the vulnerable error.asp script without proper sanitization. The malicious code then executes within the victim's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a critical weakness in the application's input validation and output encoding controls.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-2077 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities within the targeted environment. Users who encounter the error page may unknowingly execute malicious scripts that can steal cookies, modify page content, or redirect users to phishing sites. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in hosting environments where multiple users share the same infrastructure, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to compromise other user accounts or gain unauthorized access to sensitive hosting data. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1531 - Run-time Application Masking and T1059 - Command and Scripting Interpreter, as it enables attackers to execute code in the context of legitimate users.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding measures. The primary defense involves sanitizing all user-supplied input parameters, particularly those used in error handling routines, through proper encoding techniques such as HTML entity encoding before rendering any content. Additionally, developers should implement proper input validation to reject or filter out potentially malicious characters and patterns that could be used in XSS attacks. The hosting controller application should also employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the sources from which scripts can be executed, providing an additional layer of protection against XSS exploitation. Regular security code reviews and input validation testing should be conducted to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other parts of the application, ensuring that error handling components follow secure coding practices as recommended by OWASP and other security standards organizations.