CVE-2005-3970 in MXChange
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in MXChange before 0.2.0-pre10 PL492 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/14/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-3970 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the MXChange content management system prior to version 0.2.0-pre10 PL492. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws. The vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers, effectively compromising the integrity and confidentiality of user sessions.
The technical nature of this XSS vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the MXChange platform. Attackers can exploit unknown vectors within the application's data processing pipeline to inject malicious scripts that will be executed when other users view affected pages. This flaw operates by failing to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it in web responses, allowing attackers to inject HTML tags or JavaScript code that gets executed in the victim's browser context. The vulnerability's classification as a persistent or reflected XSS depends on how the malicious input is processed and stored within the application's data flow.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-3970 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, and unauthorized access to user accounts. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive information that could be used to impersonate legitimate users. The vulnerability affects the entire user base that interacts with the affected MXChange system, creating a potential attack surface that could be exploited to compromise multiple user accounts simultaneously. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where privileged access could be gained through session manipulation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. Organizations should ensure that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being processed or displayed in web pages, following the principle of least privilege in data handling. The recommended approach involves implementing strict content security policies, utilizing proper HTML escaping techniques, and applying regular security updates to patch known vulnerabilities. According to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to the T1566 technique of "Phishing with Social Engineering" and T1059.007 for "Scripting" as attackers can use the XSS flaw to execute malicious scripts. The system should also implement proper web application firewall rules to detect and block suspicious input patterns that could indicate attempted XSS attacks, while maintaining detailed logging of all user interactions for security monitoring purposes.