CVE-2005-4166 in DUportal Pro
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in password.asp in DUWare DUportal Pro 3.4.3 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the result parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-4166 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the DUWare DUportal Pro 3.4.3 web application. This security weakness specifically affects the password.asp component and manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize user input passed through the result parameter. The flaw exists in the application's input validation mechanisms, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers. Such vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they can be exploited to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, or perform unauthorized actions on behalf of victims.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting as a code injection flaw where untrusted data is embedded into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires no special privileges to exploit, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that handle user authentication and sensitive data. The result parameter in the password.asp script serves as the injection vector, where attacker-controlled input is directly incorporated into the web response without proper sanitization or encoding. This allows malicious payloads to be executed in the victim's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable sophisticated attack chains within the DUportal Pro environment. An attacker could craft malicious URLs containing XSS payloads that, when clicked by authenticated users, would execute within their browser sessions. This could lead to unauthorized access to protected content, modification of user preferences, or even complete account compromise. The vulnerability affects the authentication and password reset functionality of the application, potentially allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to user accounts or manipulate the authentication flow. Given that this vulnerability existed in version 3.4.3, it represents a known weakness that could have been exploited by threat actors targeting organizations using this specific version of the DUportal Pro software.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-4166 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied input before processing or displaying it within web pages, particularly in parameters like result that are used in dynamic content generation. Implementing Content Security Policy headers and using proper HTML encoding techniques can prevent script execution in response contexts. Organizations should also consider updating to patched versions of DUportal Pro, as this vulnerability was likely addressed in subsequent releases. The remediation approach should follow established security practices including input validation, output encoding, and regular security assessments to prevent similar vulnerabilities in other components of the application stack. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious parameter usage can provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts.