CVE-2005-3851 in Oasys Lite
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in search.asp in Online Attendance System (OASYS) Lite 1.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via certain search parameters, possibly the keyword parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/27/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-3851 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Online Attendance System (OASYS) Lite 1.0 web application. This security weakness resides in the search.asp component of the system, which processes user input through search parameters to generate dynamic web content. The flaw specifically affects how the application handles the keyword parameter, which is commonly used in search functionality to filter and retrieve attendance records or related data. When users submit search queries containing malicious script code, the application fails to properly sanitize or encode the input before incorporating it into the response sent to the victim's browser.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding practices within the OASYS Lite 1.0 application. When the search.asp page processes the keyword parameter, it directly incorporates user-supplied data into HTML responses without proper sanitization mechanisms. This allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code, HTML tags, or other harmful content that gets executed in the context of the victim's browser session. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly escape or encode user-controllable data before including it in web output. This weakness creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited across various web browsers and operating systems, making it particularly dangerous for widespread deployment.
The operational impact of this XSS vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform more sophisticated attacks against the application and its users. An attacker could potentially execute malicious scripts that steal authentication cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, modify the application interface to deceive users, or even execute arbitrary commands on the victim's machine if additional vulnerabilities exist. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the attendance system, potentially compromising sensitive personnel data, attendance records, and personal information stored within the system. This flaw undermines the trust users place in the application and could lead to significant reputational damage for organizations relying on OASYS Lite 1.0 for their attendance management needs.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-3851 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase. Organizations should immediately apply the vendor's patch or upgrade to a newer version of OASYS that addresses this vulnerability. The recommended approach involves implementing strict input validation that filters out or encodes potentially dangerous characters such as angle brackets, quotes, and script tags before processing user input. Additionally, developers should employ proper output encoding techniques when rendering user-supplied data in HTML contexts, ensuring that special characters are properly escaped to prevent script execution. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which describes the exploitation of vulnerabilities to execute malicious code, and specifically addresses the need for secure coding practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten security risks. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers and regular security testing to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future versions of the application.