CVE-2005-4575 in CommonSpot Content Server
Summary
by MITRE
PaperThin CommonSpot Content Server 4.5 and earlier allow remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via an invalid errmsg parameter to loader.cfm with a url parameter set to email-login-info.cfm, which leaks the full pathname in the resulting error message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/05/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-4575 affects PaperThin CommonSpot Content Server version 4.5 and earlier, representing a critical information disclosure flaw that exposes system paths to remote attackers. This vulnerability resides within the application's error handling mechanism and demonstrates a classic lack of proper input validation and sanitization. The flaw specifically manifests when the application processes a malformed errmsg parameter through the loader.cfm component while simultaneously setting the url parameter to email-login-info.cfm. The vulnerability falls under CWE-200, which categorizes improper output handling that leads to information exposure, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1212 for data manipulation and T1566 for credential access through information gathering. The attack vector leverages the application's inability to properly sanitize user input, allowing malicious actors to inject crafted parameters that trigger error messages containing sensitive system path information.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal effort and provides attackers with highly valuable reconnaissance data that can significantly aid in subsequent attack phases. When the invalid errmsg parameter is processed, the application generates an error message that inadvertently includes the full pathname of the email-login-info.cfm file within the application's directory structure. This information disclosure represents a serious security risk as it provides attackers with precise knowledge of the server's file system layout, including directory structures, file locations, and potentially even version-specific paths that could be used to craft more sophisticated attacks. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through simple http requests without requiring authentication or specialized tools, making it particularly dangerous as it can be discovered and exploited by automated scanning tools. The error message generation process fails to properly filter or escape special characters from user input, allowing the system path to be directly embedded into the error output.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with critical infrastructure intelligence that can be leveraged in subsequent exploitation attempts. The leaked pathname information can be used to construct targeted attacks against specific file locations, potentially enabling path traversal attacks, local file inclusion vulnerabilities, or direct access to sensitive configuration files. Attackers can use this information to map the application's directory structure and identify potential attack surfaces that might not be visible through normal network scanning. The vulnerability also contributes to the overall threat landscape by reducing the attack surface and increasing the effectiveness of credential harvesting attempts, as attackers can now target specific login components with more precise knowledge of their location within the file system. This information leakage can be particularly damaging in environments where multiple applications share similar directory structures or when the leaked paths contain sensitive information about the hosting environment.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-4575 should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and proper error handling mechanisms within the application. Organizations should immediately upgrade to PaperThin CommonSpot Content Server version 5.0 or later, where this vulnerability has been addressed through improved parameter validation and error message sanitization. The application should be configured to suppress detailed error messages from being displayed to end users, implementing generic error pages that do not reveal system path information. Input validation should be strengthened to reject malformed parameters before they can trigger error conditions, with proper sanitization of all user-supplied data. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can help detect and block exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar input validation flaws within the application stack, with particular attention to error handling routines that might expose system information. The mitigation approach should align with defense-in-depth principles and incorporate proper logging and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts while maintaining the application's operational functionality.