CVE-2005-4177 in Magic Book Personal
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in book.cfm in Magic Book Personal and Professional 2.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the StartRow parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/14/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-4177 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Magic Book Personal and Professional 2.0 web application. This security weakness resides in the book.cfm component where user input is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered back to web browsers. The specific parameter affected is StartRow which serves as an input vector for attackers to inject malicious scripts that can execute within the context of other users' browsers. 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 a well-documented and widely recognized web application security issue.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing script code within the StartRow parameter value. When a victim accesses this specially crafted link, the web application processes the parameter without adequate input validation or output encoding, causing the malicious script to execute in the victim's browser session. This allows attackers to potentially steal session cookies, deface web pages, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in input handling practices where the application fails to implement proper sanitization mechanisms for user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamic web content.
The operational impact of this XSS vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or page defacement. Attackers can leverage this weakness to establish persistent access patterns within the application environment, potentially leading to privilege escalation or further exploitation of related vulnerabilities. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of user data within the Magic Book application, as users may unknowingly execute malicious code that can capture their credentials or personal information. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability provides a low-effort, high-impact entry point that can be combined with other techniques to create more sophisticated attack vectors, aligning with the tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the 'Command and Control' and 'Credential Access' domains.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-4177 should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied input through proper parameter validation, implementing context-appropriate output encoding before rendering any dynamic content, and establishing a robust web application firewall policy. Security measures should include validating the StartRow parameter to ensure it contains only expected numeric values, implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution, and conducting regular security code reviews to identify similar input handling vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider upgrading to newer versions of the Magic Book application where these vulnerabilities have been addressed through proper security hardening practices. Additionally, implementing proper error handling and logging mechanisms can help detect and respond to exploitation attempts while maintaining compliance with security standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten project and NIST cybersecurity guidelines.