CVE-2005-4576 in UpdateEngine
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the UpdateEngine program in Fatwire UpdateEngine 6.2 and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) COUNTRYNAME, (2) EMAIL, and (3) FUELAP_TEMPLATENAME parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/10/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-4576 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Fatwire UpdateEngine 6.2 and earlier versions, specifically targeting the UpdateEngine program component. This vulnerability exposes the system to remote code execution through malicious web script injection, creating significant security risks for organizations utilizing this content management platform. The flaw affects three distinct parameter fields including COUNTRYNAME, EMAIL, and FUELAP_TEMPLATENAME, which are processed without adequate input validation or sanitization mechanisms.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications. These parameters serve as entry points for attackers to inject malicious HTML or script code that can be executed within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability occurs because the UpdateEngine application fails to properly sanitize user inputs before rendering them in web responses, allowing attackers to craft malicious payloads that exploit the trust relationship between the web application and its users. The affected parameters represent common data fields that would typically contain user-submitted information, making the attack surface particularly broad and accessible.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious websites. When exploited, these XSS vulnerabilities can compromise user sessions, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data and system functionality. The remote nature of the attack means that malicious actors can exploit this vulnerability from anywhere on the internet without requiring local system access or authentication. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where the UpdateEngine might be used to manage critical business content and user information.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied parameters. The recommended approach involves sanitizing all input data before processing and ensuring that any rendered output properly escapes special characters to prevent script execution. Security measures should include implementing Content Security Policy headers, input validation at multiple layers, and regular security assessments of web applications. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of keeping software components updated, as newer versions of Fatwire UpdateEngine would likely contain fixes for these XSS issues. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving web application attacks and session management compromises, emphasizing the need for comprehensive web security controls and regular vulnerability assessments to prevent exploitation of such flaws.