CVE-2005-4488 in Redakto Cms
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in index.tpl in Redakto WCMS 3.2 and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) iid, (2) iid2, (3) r, (4) cart, (5) str, (6) nf, and (7) a parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/30/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-4488 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness in the Redakto WCMS version 3.2 and earlier systems. This flaw resides within the index.tpl template file and affects multiple parameter inputs including iid, iid2, r, cart, str, nf, and a. The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting attacks, where malicious scripts are injected into otherwise trusted websites. These vulnerabilities create a significant risk for web application security as they allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code within the context of a user's browser session.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the web content management system. When users interact with the affected parameters, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages. This absence of proper sanitization creates an environment where attackers can inject malicious scripts that will execute whenever other users view the affected pages. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it leverages the trust relationship between the user and the web application, making it difficult to detect and prevent.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, deface websites, steal sensitive user information, or redirect users to malicious domains. Attackers can exploit these parameters to inject JavaScript code that can capture cookies, modify page content, or even redirect users to phishing sites. The widespread nature of the vulnerability across multiple parameters increases the attack surface and reduces the effectiveness of partial mitigations. This weakness directly violates the principle of least privilege and can lead to complete compromise of user sessions and potential data breaches.
Security professionals should implement comprehensive input validation mechanisms to address this vulnerability, ensuring that all user-supplied parameters are properly sanitized before processing. The recommended mitigation strategies include implementing strict output encoding for all dynamic content, deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads, and conducting thorough code reviews to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit the sources from which scripts can be executed. This vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of proper input validation and output encoding practices in web application development, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter. The remediation process should include updating to patched versions of the Redakto WCMS software and implementing comprehensive security testing procedures to prevent similar issues from occurring in other applications.