CVE-2005-2406 in Web Browser
Summary
by MITRE
Opera 8.01 allows remote attackers to conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks or modify which files are uploaded by tricking a user into dragging an image that is a "javascript:" URI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/11/2021
This vulnerability exists in Opera 8.01 browser where the application fails to properly validate and sanitize file upload operations when users drag and drop image files that contain javascript: URIs. The flaw occurs during the drag and drop file handling process where Opera does not adequately filter or escape javascript: protocol references that may be embedded within image file names or metadata. Attackers can craft malicious image files that contain javascript: URIs in their names or embedded data, which when dragged and dropped into vulnerable applications or web forms trigger unintended script execution. This represents a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability where the malicious javascript code executes in the context of the victim's browser session with the privileges of the targeted user.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability leverages the browser's drag and drop functionality to bypass normal input validation mechanisms that would typically prevent javascript: URIs from being processed as legitimate file references. When a user drags a specially crafted image file containing a javascript: URI, the browser's handling of the drag operation fails to properly sanitize the URI reference, allowing the malicious code to execute within the victim's browsing context. This vulnerability specifically targets the file upload process rather than traditional web form input fields, making it particularly insidious as it can bypass standard security controls that protect against XSS in conventional input areas. The attack vector relies on social engineering to convince users to perform drag and drop operations with malicious files, exploiting the trust users place in visual file representations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple cross-site scripting to potentially enable more severe attacks including session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration. When executed successfully, the malicious javascript code can access the victim's cookies, local storage, and other browser resources that may contain sensitive authentication tokens or personal information. The vulnerability affects any web application that accepts file uploads through drag and drop operations and does not properly validate the file names or content of uploaded files. This creates a significant risk for web applications that process user-uploaded content without adequate sanitization, particularly those that store and display user-generated content without proper context-dependent encoding.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of defense to protect against this vulnerability including immediate browser updates to patched versions, implementation of strict input validation for all file upload operations, and deployment of web application firewalls that can detect and block javascript: URI references in file names. The mitigation strategy must address both the browser-level vulnerability and the application-level weaknesses that allow malicious files to be processed. Security controls should include proper content type validation, filename sanitization, and the implementation of CSP (Content Security Policy) headers that restrict the execution of inline scripts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 (Cross-site Scripting) and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript) as it enables remote code execution through javascript payloads. Organizations should also conduct security awareness training to educate users about the risks of drag and drop operations with untrusted files and implement proper security monitoring to detect suspicious file upload activities.