CVE-2005-4024 in FastFind
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Interspire FastFind 2004 and 2005 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the query parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/14/2018
The CVE-2005-4024 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw affecting Interspire FastFind versions 2004 and 2005, demonstrating a fundamental weakness in input validation and output encoding mechanisms within web applications. This vulnerability classifies under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting conditions where untrusted data is improperly integrated into web pages without proper sanitization or encoding. The flaw exists in the application's handling of user-supplied input through the query parameter, creating an attack surface that allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content directly into the application's response.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing script code within the query parameter and delivers it to unsuspecting users. When victims click on the crafted link, the malicious script executes in their browser within the context of the vulnerable application, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of the user. This type of attack leverages the trust relationship between the user and the web application, making it particularly dangerous as users are often unaware of the malicious payload until significant damage has occurred. The vulnerability specifically impacts the application's ability to properly sanitize user input before rendering it in web responses, violating core security principles of input validation and output encoding.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for organizations using Interspire FastFind, as it enables attackers to compromise user sessions and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. The attack vector is relatively simple to implement, requiring only basic knowledge of web application security principles and the ability to construct malicious URLs. This vulnerability also has implications for the broader web application security landscape, as it demonstrates how legacy applications may contain unpatched security flaws that continue to pose risks long after their initial release. The vulnerability's persistence in older versions of the software highlights the importance of regular security updates and vulnerability management processes within enterprise environments.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding controls to prevent the injection of malicious scripts into application responses. The recommended approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied input through proper encoding mechanisms such as HTML entity encoding before rendering any content in web pages. Additionally, implementing content security policies can provide an additional layer of protection against script execution. Security teams should also consider deploying web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious requests containing potential XSS payloads. The vulnerability underscores the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to security standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks. Organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify similar issues in other applications and ensure proper input validation mechanisms are in place across all web-facing components. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical need for continuous security monitoring and the implementation of defense-in-depth strategies to protect against persistent threats in web applications.