CVE-2005-2950 in Sawmill
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Sawmill 7.0.0 through 7.1.13 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the query string in an HTTP GET request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/09/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-2950 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw affecting Sawmill web application versions 7.0.0 through 7.1.13. This security weakness falls under the broader category of injection attacks and specifically manifests as a reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability that enables remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of victim browsers. The vulnerability occurs when the application fails to properly sanitize user input received through HTTP GET requests, particularly within the query string parameters. The flaw allows an attacker to craft malicious URLs that, when clicked by an unsuspecting user, would execute arbitrary JavaScript code or HTML content in the victim's browser session. This type of vulnerability directly violates the principle of input validation and demonstrates a critical failure in the application's data sanitization processes.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal prerequisites as it leverages the inherent trust relationship between the web browser and the application server. Attackers can construct malicious payloads by embedding script code within the query string parameters of HTTP GET requests targeting the vulnerable Sawmill application. When a victim navigates to such a crafted URL, the application processes the unvalidated input and reflects the malicious content back to the user's browser, executing the injected script in the context of the victim's session. This vulnerability specifically aligns with CWE-79 which defines the improper neutralization of input during web page generation as a primary cause of cross-site scripting vulnerabilities. The reflected nature of the attack means that the malicious script is not stored on the server but rather injected into the application's response, making it particularly challenging to detect and prevent through traditional server-side security measures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, and unauthorized access to sensitive data within the application's scope. An attacker could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, or manipulate application functionality to gain unauthorized access to administrative features. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the web application by creating a persistent attack vector that remains active as long as the vulnerable version is deployed. Users who interact with the application through compromised links become unwitting participants in the attack, creating a chain of trust violations that can result in significant data breaches and system compromise. This type of vulnerability also increases the attack surface for subsequent exploitation attempts, as successful XSS attacks can serve as a foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the network environment.
Organizations using affected Sawmill versions should immediately implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate the risk associated with this vulnerability. The primary remediation involves updating to a patched version of Sawmill that properly sanitizes input parameters and implements proper output encoding mechanisms. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and output encoding at the application level can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in the future. Network-based protections such as web application firewalls should be configured to detect and block malicious query string patterns that could indicate XSS attack attempts. The implementation of content security policies and proper HTTP headers can further reduce the impact of successful XSS attempts by limiting the execution context of injected scripts. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security assessments of their web applications to identify similar input validation weaknesses and ensure proper adherence to secure coding practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and other industry security standards. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of input validation and output encoding in preventing cross-site scripting attacks that can have severe consequences for both application security and user data protection.