CVE-2005-2379 in Oracle
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Oracle Reports 9.0.2 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) debug parameter to showenv, (2) test parameter to parsequery, or (3) delimiter or (4) CELLWRAPPER parameter to rwservlet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/30/2025
Oracle Reports 9.0.2 contains multiple cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that represent significant security weaknesses in the web application framework. These vulnerabilities arise from insufficient input validation and sanitization of user-supplied parameters within the report generation servlets. The affected parameters include the debug parameter in the showenv servlet, the test parameter in the parsequery servlet, and both the delimiter and CELLWRAPPER parameters in the rwservlet component. These flaws create opportunities for remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML code that executes in the context of authenticated users' browsers. The vulnerabilities are classified as CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into web pages.
The technical exploitation of these vulnerabilities occurs when attackers submit malicious payloads through the identified parameter names without proper validation or encoding. The debug parameter in showenv allows attackers to inject scripts that can capture session cookies or redirect users to malicious sites. The test parameter in parsequery enables injection attacks that can manipulate query parsing and potentially access sensitive data. The delimiter and CELLWRAPPER parameters in rwservlet provide additional attack vectors where crafted input can be rendered in web pages without proper sanitization. These vulnerabilities enable attackers to perform session hijacking, defacement of reports, and data exfiltration attacks. The impact is particularly severe because Oracle Reports typically runs in enterprise environments where users may have elevated privileges and access to sensitive business data.
The operational consequences of these XSS vulnerabilities extend beyond simple script injection attacks. Attackers can leverage these flaws to establish persistent access to report systems, steal user credentials through cookie theft, or redirect users to phishing sites that appear legitimate. The vulnerabilities affect the integrity and confidentiality of the report generation environment, potentially allowing unauthorized access to business intelligence and sensitive operational data. According to ATT&CK framework, these vulnerabilities map to T1531 - Account Access Removal and T1566 - Phishing, as attackers can use the XSS to compromise user accounts and conduct social engineering campaigns. Organizations running Oracle Reports 9.0.2 face significant risk of data breaches and unauthorized system access, particularly in environments where reports contain financial, customer, or operational data. The vulnerabilities also create opportunities for attackers to escalate privileges and move laterally within the network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for these vulnerabilities should include immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding measures. Organizations must ensure that all user-supplied parameters are properly sanitized before being processed or rendered in web pages. The recommended approach involves implementing strict parameter validation, using secure coding practices, and applying proper HTML encoding to all dynamic content. Oracle released patches and updates to address these specific vulnerabilities, and organizations should implement these security updates immediately. Additional protective measures include network segmentation, web application firewalls, and monitoring for suspicious parameter values in web server logs. Security teams should also implement regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other enterprise applications. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of patched applications to ensure that the XSS vulnerabilities are properly resolved without introducing new security issues.