CVE-2005-3015 in Lotus Domino Enterprise Server
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM Lotus Domino 6.5.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) BaseTarget or (2) Src parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/29/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-3015 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM Lotus Domino version 6.5.2, specifically affecting the web server component that processes HTTP requests. This vulnerability resides in the handling of web parameters and allows malicious actors to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of a victim's browser session. The flaw manifests when the web server fails to properly sanitize user input passed through specific parameters, creating an avenue for persistent script injection attacks that can compromise user data and browser integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves two primary attack vectors through the BaseTarget and Src parameters which are processed by the Lotus Domino web server. When these parameters contain unvalidated input, the server renders them directly into web responses without adequate sanitization or encoding measures. This failure to implement proper input validation and output encoding creates a condition where attackers can embed malicious JavaScript code, HTML tags, or other script content that executes when legitimate users browse to affected pages. The vulnerability operates under the common weakness enumeration CWE-79 which categorizes improper neutralization of input during web output, specifically targeting the failure to sanitize user-controllable data before it is rendered in web contexts.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations utilizing IBM Lotus Domino 6.5.2 for email, collaboration, and web application services. Attackers can exploit this weakness to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, redirect victims to malicious websites, or extract sensitive information from authenticated sessions. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors do not require physical access to the system or privileged network positions to exploit the vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently interact with web-based collaboration tools and email systems. The impact extends beyond simple data theft as attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access through session hijacking or to deploy additional malware within the user's browser environment.
Organizations affected by CVE-2005-3015 should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates, implementing input validation mechanisms, and deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious script content. The remediation process should involve thorough testing of web applications to identify all parameters that may be vulnerable to similar injection attacks and ensuring proper encoding of all user-controllable data before rendering in web contexts. Security teams should also consider implementing content security policies and regular security assessments to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of the web infrastructure. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output encoding practices in web applications, aligning with the attack technique T1059.007 from the MITRE ATT&CK framework which covers scripting through web shells and command injection attacks that leverage similar input sanitization failures.