CVE-2006-0886 in web management system
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in register.php in DEV web management system 1.5 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the "City/Region" field (mesto variable). NOTE: the provenance of this information is unknown; the details are obtained solely from third party information.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/02/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-0886 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the DEV web management system version 1.5, specifically affecting the register.php script. This security weakness resides in the handling of user input through the "City/Region" field, which is processed under the variable name mesto. The vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers, creating a significant security risk for the web application's user base. The flaw demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output encoding in web applications to prevent malicious code execution.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of user-supplied data within the registration process. When users enter information into the City/Region field, the application fails to adequately validate or escape the input before storing or displaying it. This allows an attacker to craft malicious input containing script tags or other HTML elements that will be executed when other users view the affected data. The vulnerability operates under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, where applications fail to properly encode output to prevent the execution of malicious scripts. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it occurs during user registration, a common and trusted point of interaction within web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption or display issues. Attackers can leverage this weakness to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, redirect victims to malicious sites, or even deface the web application. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors do not require physical access to the system or local network privileges to exploit this vulnerability. The potential for widespread impact increases when considering that user registration forms are often accessed by numerous individuals, providing attackers with multiple opportunities to compromise user sessions and gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or application functionality.
Security professionals should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability. The primary remediation involves input validation and output encoding practices that ensure all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being stored or displayed. This includes implementing proper HTML entity encoding for any data that will be rendered in web pages and validating input against strict character sets. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies to prevent unauthorized script execution and deploy web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious input patterns. The vulnerability highlights the necessity of following secure coding practices and adhering to established security frameworks such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten, which consistently identifies cross-site scripting as one of the most prevalent web application security risks. Additionally, regular security testing including automated scanning and manual penetration testing can help identify similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors.