CVE-2005-3854 in EasyPageCMS
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in index.php in EasyPageCMS allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the cat parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-3854 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the EasyPageCMS content management system, specifically affecting the index.php script. This issue arises from inadequate input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly handle user-supplied data. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it allows remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content through the cat parameter, which serves as an entry point for executing unauthorized code within the context of other users' browsers. The flaw exists at the application level where user input is directly incorporated into dynamic web page content without proper sanitization or encoding measures.
This XSS vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is a fundamental web application security weakness that enables attackers to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The attack vector specifically targets the cat parameter in the index.php script, suggesting that the application accepts this parameter as a legitimate means to filter or categorize content but fails to validate or sanitize its contents appropriately. The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can potentially enable session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of web content, and redirection to malicious sites. When an attacker successfully exploits this flaw, they can execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the victim's browser context, potentially compromising user sessions and accessing sensitive information.
The exploitation of this vulnerability typically requires an attacker to craft malicious input containing script tags or other HTML content that gets executed when the vulnerable page is rendered. The cat parameter likely serves as a category identifier or filter mechanism within the CMS, making it a natural target for injection attacks. This vulnerability demonstrates a critical failure in the application's security architecture, specifically in its input handling and output encoding practices. The flaw represents a failure to implement proper security controls such as input validation, output encoding, and secure coding practices that are fundamental to preventing XSS attacks. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability provides a straightforward path to compromising user sessions and potentially gaining unauthorized access to the CMS administrative functions.
Organizations utilizing EasyPageCMS should implement comprehensive mitigations including input validation that rejects or sanitizes potentially malicious content, output encoding that prevents script execution in web contexts, and regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures against XSS attacks. Security practitioners should also consider adopting secure coding practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Secure Coding Practices and the MITRE ATT&CK framework for web application security, which categorizes this type of vulnerability under the execution and persistence phases of attack. Regular patching and vulnerability management processes are essential to address such flaws before they can be exploited by malicious actors in the wild.