CVE-2006-0655 in phpht Topsites
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in (1) link_edited.php and (2) link_added.php in Hinton Design phpht Topsites 1.3 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/02/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-0655 represents a critical security flaw in the phpht Topsites 1.3 web application developed by Hinton Design. This issue manifests as multiple cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that exist within two specific PHP script files: link_edited.php and link_added.php. These vulnerabilities fall under the broader category of injection flaws that have been classified under CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting attacks. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers, creating a significant security risk for the application's user base.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the affected PHP scripts. When users interact with the web application's link editing and addition functionalities, the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamic web page content. This inadequate data handling creates opportunities for attackers to inject malicious payloads that can be executed in the browsers of other users who view the affected pages. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the CVE description suggest that the vulnerability may be exploitable through various input points within these specific scripts, making it particularly challenging to defend against and remediate completely.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption or display issues, as it enables attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities within the application's user context. An attacker could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, deface the application's content, or even execute arbitrary commands on behalf of authenticated users. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where the application handles sensitive user data or where users have elevated privileges. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat that can affect all users who interact with the affected application, potentially compromising the entire user base and undermining trust in the application's security.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which involves the use of malicious code to gain access to systems through web application vulnerabilities. The attack surface for this vulnerability is significant as it affects core functionality of the application's user management system. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation, output encoding, and proper sanitization of all user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages. The recommended approach includes implementing Content Security Policy headers, using parameterized queries where applicable, and ensuring that all user inputs are properly escaped or encoded before being processed by the application. Additionally, regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the web application stack, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of comprehensive security testing throughout the application lifecycle.