CVE-2006-0241 in WBNews
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting vulnerability in WBNews 1.1.0 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the Name field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/11/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-0241 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within WBNews version 1.1.0 and earlier installations. This security weakness resides in the application's handling of user input through the Name field, which fails to properly sanitize or validate data before processing. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of victims.
This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is sent to a web browser without proper validation or escaping. The flaw operates by allowing attackers to inject malicious HTML or JavaScript code into the Name field, which then gets rendered on web pages viewed by other users. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no special privileges or authentication to exploit, making it accessible to any remote user capable of submitting data to the vulnerable application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling sophisticated attack chains that align with ATT&CK technique T1059.1001 for command and control through web scripts. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access, steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions that appear to originate from legitimate users within the application. The damage potential increases significantly if the vulnerable application processes user submissions that are displayed in privileged contexts or if the application handles sensitive user data.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-0241 should prioritize immediate application updates to versions that address the input validation weakness, as this represents the most effective defense mechanism. Additionally, implementing proper input sanitization and output encoding techniques can prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in the future. Organizations should deploy web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious script injection attempts, while also establishing comprehensive input validation routines that reject or escape potentially dangerous characters. Regular security assessments and code reviews focusing on user input handling can help identify similar vulnerabilities across the application portfolio, ensuring compliance with security standards such as OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks.