CVE-2005-4229 in searchEveryAuction
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in auction.pl in EveryAuction 1.53 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the searchstring parameter. NOTE: the provenance of this issue is unknown; the details were obtained solely from third party sources and independently verified using source code inspection.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/05/2024
This cross-site scripting vulnerability exists in the auction.pl script of EveryAuction version 1.53 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected users' browsers. The vulnerability specifically manifests through the searchstring parameter, which fails to properly sanitize or validate user input before processing and displaying it within the web application's response. This lack of input validation creates an avenue for attackers to inject malicious payloads that can be executed when other users view the affected search results page, making it a classic persistent cross-site scripting vulnerability.
The technical implementation of this flaw stems from inadequate input filtering mechanisms within the auction.pl script, where user-supplied search terms are directly incorporated into HTML output without proper encoding or sanitization. When an attacker crafts a malicious search string containing script tags or other HTML elements, these inputs are processed by the vulnerable application and rendered in subsequent web pages viewed by legitimate users. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-site Scripting, specifically representing a stored XSS variant since the malicious content is persisted in the application's processing and can affect multiple users over time. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it operates at the application layer, making it particularly dangerous as it can bypass traditional network-based security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it can enable sophisticated attack chains including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious sites. An attacker could craft search strings that steal cookies or session tokens from authenticated users, potentially gaining unauthorized access to their accounts or administrative privileges within the auction platform. The vulnerability's remote nature means attackers can exploit it from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the target system, making it particularly attractive for large-scale attacks. Additionally, the vulnerability's persistence means that once exploited, malicious content can affect all users who view the affected search results, creating a potential vector for widespread compromise across the platform's user base.
Security mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase. The most effective immediate fix involves sanitizing all user-supplied input, particularly the searchstring parameter, by implementing proper HTML encoding before rendering any user data in web responses. This approach aligns with the ATT&CK framework's defense evasion techniques and represents a fundamental security practice for preventing XSS vulnerabilities. Organizations should also implement Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts, while regular code reviews and security testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. The vulnerability's provenance being unknown underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and conducting independent verification of third-party software components to prevent exploitation of undisclosed vulnerabilities.