CVE-2005-4372 in Adaptive Website Framework
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in account.html in Adaptive Website Framework (AWF) 2.10 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the page parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/02/2017
The cross-site scripting vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-4372 affects the Adaptive Website Framework version 2.10 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of legitimate user sessions. This vulnerability specifically resides in the account.html component of the framework, where insufficient input validation and output encoding practices create an exploitable condition that compromises web application security. The flaw manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data passed through the page parameter, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content that executes in the victim's browser.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows the standard XSS attack pattern where malicious input is accepted through the page parameter and subsequently rendered without adequate sanitization measures. The Adaptive Website Framework does not implement proper input validation or output encoding mechanisms to prevent the execution of malicious code, creating a persistent security weakness that can be leveraged by threat actors. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which specifically addresses the improper handling of untrusted data in web applications, making it a well-documented and widely recognized security concern in web development practices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user information, manipulate web page content, or redirect users to malicious websites. Attackers can craft malicious URLs containing script payloads that, when executed in a victim's browser, can capture cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive data. The vulnerability's remote nature means that exploitation can occur without requiring physical access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that handle user authentication or sensitive data processing. This weakness directly violates the principle of least privilege and can lead to complete compromise of user sessions within the affected web application.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding measures throughout the Adaptive Website Framework. Security professionals should implement proper parameter validation to sanitize all user-supplied input, particularly focusing on the page parameter used in account.html. The framework must employ comprehensive output encoding techniques to prevent script execution in contexts where user input is rendered back to the browser. Organizations should consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to add an additional layer of protection against script injection attacks, while also ensuring that all input parameters are properly escaped before being processed or displayed. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other components of the web application. The remediation efforts should align with industry best practices established by organizations such as OWASP and NIST, which emphasize the importance of secure input handling and output encoding as fundamental defense mechanisms against cross-site scripting attacks.