CVE-2005-4150 in Cleverpath Portal
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the portal login page in Computer Associates CleverPath 4.7 allows remote attackers to execute Javascript via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/27/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-4150 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the portal login page of Computer Associates CleverPath version 4.7. This security weakness falls under the broader category of web application vulnerabilities that enable malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of a user's browser session. The vulnerability specifically affects the authentication interface of the CleverPath application, which serves as a central access point for users to interact with the system's various features and functionalities.
The technical nature of this XSS vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the portal login page implementation. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious input payloads that contain JavaScript code, which then gets executed when the page renders the user's input without proper sanitization. The vulnerability's classification as a persistent or reflected XSS attack depends on how the input is processed and stored within the application's architecture, though the description indicates the attack vector operates through unknown mechanisms that could involve multiple exploitation paths including parameter manipulation, cookie injection, or header manipulation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with the ability to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive authentication credentials, and potentially gain unauthorized access to the CleverPath system. When users authenticate through the compromised login page, their session cookies and potentially their credentials could be captured by attackers, enabling them to impersonate legitimate users and access restricted system resources. The attack surface extends beyond simple credential theft to include potential data exfiltration, privilege escalation, and further exploitation of the compromised system. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and compromises the integrity of the authentication mechanism that should protect the entire application ecosystem.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. The attack pattern follows typical XSS exploitation techniques as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1059.007 technique for command and scripting interpreter. Organizations using CleverPath 4.7 are particularly vulnerable to this attack vector as it targets the most critical entry point of the application, the authentication interface. The vulnerability's discovery in 2005 highlights the historical prevalence of such flaws in enterprise applications and underscores the importance of robust input validation and output encoding practices. The security implications extend to potential man-in-the-middle attacks where attackers can modify the login page content to redirect users to malicious sites or inject additional malware payloads.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the login page code. Organizations must ensure that all user-supplied input is sanitized and validated before being processed or displayed, with special attention to HTML and JavaScript characters that could be used for injection attacks. The application should implement Content Security Policy headers to prevent unauthorized script execution and employ proper session management practices including secure cookie attributes and session timeout mechanisms. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, as this flaw demonstrates the potential for widespread impact when authentication mechanisms are compromised. System administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious activities related to login page access patterns and potential exploitation attempts.