CVE-2005-4407 in Mercury CMS
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in index.cfm in Mercury CMS 4.0 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) content and (2) criteria parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/31/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-4407 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Mercury CMS 4.0 and earlier versions, specifically affecting the index.cfm component. This type of vulnerability falls under the broader category of insecure input handling and demonstrates a critical weakness in web application security that has persisted across many content management systems. The vulnerability exists in the way the application processes user-supplied input parameters, particularly when handling content and criteria parameters in the index.cfm file, creating an environment where malicious actors can inject harmful scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly sanitize or validate input received through the content and criteria parameters. When these parameters are processed without adequate security measures such as input filtering, output encoding, or proper parameter validation, the system becomes susceptible to XSS attacks. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers, potentially enabling session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious websites. This vulnerability specifically affects the Mercury CMS version 4.0 and earlier, indicating that the developers had not yet implemented sufficient security controls to prevent such injection attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited by attackers to compromise user sessions and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. When exploited, the XSS vulnerability can lead to session fixation, cookie theft, and the execution of malicious code on victim browsers, which aligns with the ATT&CK framework's technique T1531 for credential access through session manipulation. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or insider knowledge to exploit it, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users interact with the CMS.
From a security standards perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79, which describes Cross-site Scripting vulnerabilities in web applications. The flaw demonstrates the critical importance of implementing proper input validation and output encoding as recommended by the OWASP Top Ten and other security frameworks. Organizations using affected versions of Mercury CMS should immediately implement mitigations including input sanitization, parameter validation, and output encoding to prevent the execution of malicious scripts. The recommended remediation approach involves updating to a patched version of Mercury CMS, implementing web application firewalls, and establishing comprehensive input validation controls to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other parts of the application architecture. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and address similar weaknesses in the application's codebase.