CVE-2005-3073 in Interchange
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Interchange 5.0.1 allows attackers 4.9.3, 5.0 before 5.0.2, and 5.2, when a catalog has been created using the (1) "mike", (2) "standard", or (3) "foundation" demo, allows attackers to inject Interchange Tag Language (ITL) elements into the forum/submit.html page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/09/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-3073 represents a critical security flaw in the Interchange e-commerce platform version 5.0.1, affecting specific demo catalog configurations. This issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the forum/submit.html page, which processes user submissions and allows arbitrary Interchange Tag Language elements to be injected. The vulnerability specifically impacts installations that utilize the "mike", "standard", or "foundation" demo templates, creating a persistent attack vector that could be exploited by malicious actors to manipulate the application's behavior.
The technical flaw manifests through insufficient sanitization of user input parameters within the forum submission process, enabling attackers to inject ITL code that gets executed within the context of the web application. This represents a classic server-side code injection vulnerability that falls under the CWE-94 category of "Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190 for "Exploit Public-Facing Application". The vulnerability occurs because the application fails to properly validate or escape user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamic content generation, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary commands or manipulate application logic through carefully crafted input sequences.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive application functionality, potentially leading to complete system compromise. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code, access restricted resources, or manipulate database content through the injected ITL elements. The vulnerability affects multiple versions including Interchange 4.9.3, 5.0 before 5.0.2, and 5.2, indicating a widespread issue that would have impacted numerous production environments during the affected time period. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in e-commerce environments where sensitive customer data and financial transactions are processed.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patch application to versions 5.0.2 and later where the issue has been resolved through proper input validation and sanitization. Organizations should implement comprehensive input filtering mechanisms that validate all user-supplied data against whitelisted patterns before processing, ensuring that ITL elements cannot be injected into dynamic pages. Additionally, security measures including web application firewalls, regular security audits, and proper configuration management should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other components of the application stack. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper security testing and validation of demo installations that are often deployed without adequate security hardening measures.