CVE-2005-4291 in Onlineshop
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in cart.cgi in ECTOOLS Onlineshop 1.0 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) product, (2) category, and (3) uid parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/03/2024
The CVE-2005-4291 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the ECTOOLS Onlineshop 1.0 software, specifically within the cart.cgi script that handles shopping cart functionality. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly process user-supplied data before incorporating it into web responses. The flaw affects three distinct parameters - product, category, and uid - which are commonly used to track and display shopping cart items, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate the application's behavior through malicious script injection.
This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a weakness in web applications that fail to properly encode or validate user input before rendering it in web pages. The attack vector operates through the exploitation of insecure data handling practices where the cart.cgi script directly incorporates user-provided parameters without appropriate sanitization measures. When an attacker submits malicious content through any of the three vulnerable parameters, the application processes this data without proper validation, creating opportunities for script execution in the context of other users' browsers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the ability to execute arbitrary web scripts and HTML content within the victim's browser environment. This capability enables a range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of the online shop interface, and redirection to malicious websites. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects core shopping cart functionality, meaning that any user interacting with the application could potentially be exposed to malicious code execution, especially during checkout processes where sensitive information might be handled.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The primary defense involves sanitizing all user inputs through proper parameter validation, implementing strict whitelisting of acceptable characters, and employing context-appropriate output encoding for HTML, JavaScript, and URL contexts. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution capabilities and utilize web application firewalls to detect and block malicious input patterns. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, as this type of flaw often indicates broader issues in the application's data handling architecture. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and other industry security standards that emphasize the need for proper input validation and output encoding to prevent XSS attacks.