CVE-2006-0796 in Clever Copy
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in default.php in Clever Copy 3.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the Subject field when sending private messages (privatemessages.php). NOTE: the provenance of this information is unknown; the details are obtained solely from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/02/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-0796 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Clever Copy 3.0 content management system, specifically affecting the private messaging functionality. This issue resides in the default.php component and manifests when users attempt to send private messages through the privatemessages.php interface. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before it is rendered back to other users within the web application interface.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML code directly into the Subject field of private messages. When another user views this message, the malicious code executes within their browser context, potentially leading to unauthorized actions such as session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious websites. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws where untrusted data is improperly handled during web page generation. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it leverages the trust relationship between users and the application, making it difficult to distinguish between legitimate and malicious content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption or display issues. Attackers can exploit this flaw to perform session manipulation attacks, potentially gaining unauthorized access to user accounts or executing commands on behalf of other users. The vulnerability affects the core messaging functionality of the application, which could compromise the confidentiality and integrity of private communications. From an attacker perspective, this represents a low-effort, high-impact vector that can be exploited without requiring authentication or special privileges. The attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which covers "Run-time Software Dependencies Hijacking" and T1059 which covers "Command and Scripting Interpreter" through the execution of malicious scripts within the victim's browser environment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user inputs, particularly those that are rendered back to users in web pages, through the use of HTML entity encoding or proper escaping mechanisms. Organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and prevent unauthorized code injection. Additionally, regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other parts of the application. The fix should include comprehensive validation of all input fields, particularly those used for message subjects and content, ensuring that any potentially malicious script tags or JavaScript code are properly neutralized before processing. This vulnerability underscores the critical importance of implementing defense-in-depth security measures and demonstrates how seemingly minor input validation gaps can lead to significant security breaches in web applications.