CVE-2005-4364 in Web Content Management Suite
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in index.cfm in Hot Banana Web Content Management Suite 5.3 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the keywords parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/14/2024
The CVE-2005-4364 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Hot Banana Web Content Management Suite version 5.3, specifically affecting the index.cfm component. This vulnerability resides in the web application's input validation mechanisms, where user-supplied data from the keywords parameter is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to users. The flaw enables attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers, creating a significant security risk for web applications relying on this content management system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate output encoding and input validation practices within the Hot Banana suite. When the keywords parameter is processed through the index.cfm script, the application fails to properly escape or filter special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This allows an attacker to craft malicious payloads containing script tags or other executable code that gets embedded directly into the web page output. The vulnerability is classified as a reflected XSS attack since the malicious script is reflected back to users through the vulnerable parameter without being stored on the server.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents substantial risks to organizations utilizing Hot Banana Web Content Management Suite 5.3, as it enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of web content, and redirection to malicious sites. The impact extends beyond simple data theft since attackers can leverage this vulnerability to manipulate user sessions, potentially gaining administrative privileges or accessing sensitive information. The vulnerability affects the entire user base of the web application, making it particularly dangerous for high-traffic websites where the injected scripts could reach numerous users simultaneously.
The security implications of CVE-2005-4364 align with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in web applications. This classification indicates that the flaw represents a weakness in input validation that allows execution of malicious code within the victim's browser context. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1531, which covers the use of malicious code to gain access to systems through web application vulnerabilities. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation, output encoding, and proper parameter sanitization to address this class of vulnerability. The recommended mitigations include updating to patched versions of Hot Banana, implementing web application firewalls, and conducting regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other web applications within the organization's infrastructure.