CVE-2005-4354 in webglimpse
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in webglimpse.cgi in Webglimpse 2.14.1 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the query parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/05/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-4354 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Webglimpse web application, specifically affecting versions 2.14.1 and earlier. This issue resides in the webglimpse.cgi script which serves as a core component of the web application's functionality, handling user input through the query parameter mechanism. The vulnerability allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code into the application's response, creating a significant security risk for users interacting with the affected system.
This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is incorporated into web page content without proper validation or escaping. The flaw occurs when the webglimpse.cgi script fails to sanitize or encode user-supplied input from the query parameter before incorporating it into the HTTP response sent to web browsers. This omission creates an environment where attackers can execute malicious scripts within the context of other users' sessions, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or other malicious activities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with a foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the web application's environment. When users browse pages that contain the malicious script, the injected code executes in their browsers, potentially stealing cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or performing actions on behalf of authenticated users. This vulnerability particularly affects web application users who trust the legitimate webglimpse service, making it difficult to detect and prevent attacks. The attack vector is straightforward and requires minimal technical expertise, making it a preferred target for attackers seeking to exploit web application vulnerabilities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on input validation and output encoding practices that align with established security frameworks. The primary remediation involves implementing proper input sanitization of the query parameter in webglimpse.cgi, ensuring that all user-supplied data is validated against a strict whitelist of acceptable characters and patterns. Additionally, output encoding should be applied to all dynamic content before rendering in web pages, particularly using context-appropriate encoding such as HTML entity encoding for web page content. Organizations should consider implementing a comprehensive web application firewall that can detect and block XSS attack patterns, while also ensuring that the web application follows secure coding practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and MITRE ATT&CK framework for web application security. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output encoding in preventing client-side attacks, and highlights the need for regular security assessments and code reviews to identify similar flaws in legacy web applications.