CVE-2006-0715 in sNews
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in sNews 1.3 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the comment field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/19/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-0715 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw in the sNews 1.3 content management system that fundamentally compromises web application security through improper input validation. This vulnerability resides in the comment field processing mechanism where user-supplied data is not adequately sanitized before being rendered back to other users. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject malicious scripts or HTML code that executes in the context of other users' browsers when they view the affected comments section.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly encode or escape user input before displaying it on web pages. When users submit comments containing script tags or malicious HTML elements, the sNews 1.3 system stores this data without sufficient sanitization measures. Upon subsequent page rendering, these unfiltered inputs are directly embedded into the HTML output, creating an XSS vector that allows attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in victims' browsers. This represents a Type II XSS vulnerability where the malicious payload is stored on the server and delivered to other users during normal browsing operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, deface websites, steal sensitive information, or redirect users to malicious domains. An attacker could craft comments containing JavaScript that captures user credentials, modifies website content, or establishes persistent backdoors through browser-based attacks. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of user data, potentially allowing unauthorized access to user accounts and compromising the overall security posture of the affected website. According to CWE classification, this maps to CWE-79 which specifically addresses improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it a direct implementation of the well-known web application security weakness.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The system must sanitize all user-provided content through comprehensive filtering that removes or encodes potentially dangerous characters and script tags before storage and display. Security measures should include implementing Content Security Policy headers, using proper HTML escaping functions, and ensuring all user input undergoes rigorous validation before being processed. Additionally, the application should employ proper session management controls and consider implementing rate limiting for comment submissions to prevent abuse. Organizations should also conduct regular security audits of their web applications and implement automated vulnerability scanning to identify similar weaknesses in other components of their digital infrastructure. The remediation process should follow established security frameworks such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten project and ATT&CK framework categories related to web application vulnerabilities and client-side attacks.