CVE-2005-4598 in OoApp Guestbook
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in home.php in OoApp Guestbook 2.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the page parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-4598 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw affecting the OoApp Guestbook 2.1 web application. This issue resides in the home.php script where user-supplied input from the page parameter is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered back to users. The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it a prime example of how insufficient input validation can lead to severe security implications.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious script code within the page parameter value and submits it to the vulnerable application. When the application processes this input and displays it without proper HTML escaping or encoding, the injected script executes within the context of other users' browsers who visit the affected page. This creates a persistent XSS vector where malicious payloads can be stored and executed whenever legitimate users access the guestbook entries. The attack leverages the trust relationship between the web application and its users, allowing the attacker to bypass normal security restrictions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of the guestbook content, and redirection to malicious websites. An attacker could inject scripts that steal cookies or session tokens, effectively compromising user accounts and potentially gaining unauthorized access to administrative functions if the guestbook application includes any privilege-based features. The persistent nature of stored XSS in guestbook applications means that the vulnerability remains active until the malicious content is removed from the database, creating ongoing security risks for all users who interact with the compromised system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The recommended approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied input through strict validation and encoding before processing or storing any data. This includes implementing proper HTML escaping for dynamic content and ensuring that the application follows secure coding practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and related security frameworks. Additionally, the application should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts and provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be conducted to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in future code modifications, aligning with the defensive measures recommended in the ATT&CK framework for preventing web application attacks.