CVE-2006-1493 in Explorer XP
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in dir.php in Explorer XP allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the chemin parameter. NOTE: it is possible that this issue is resultant from CVE-2006-1492.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-1493 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw in the Explorer XP web application's dir.php component. This security weakness specifically manifests through the chemin parameter, which serves as an entry point for malicious input injection. The vulnerability falls under the broader category of CWE-79 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security that allows attackers to inject malicious code into web pages viewed by other users. The affected application appears to be a file explorer interface that processes directory paths through web requests, making it susceptible to injection attacks that can execute arbitrary scripts in the context of the victim's browser.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when remote attackers manipulate the chemin parameter in the dir.php script to include malicious HTML or JavaScript code. When the application processes this parameter without proper input sanitization or output encoding, the injected code becomes part of the dynamically generated web page. This creates a persistent threat where any user who accesses the affected page will execute the malicious script within their browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices and highlights the critical importance of proper sanitization of user-supplied data before incorporating it into web page content.
The operational impact of CVE-2006-1493 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks within the context of the affected web application. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access to user sessions, harvest sensitive information from authenticated sessions, or redirect users to phishing sites that appear legitimate. The vulnerability's classification as a server-side XSS issue means that the malicious code executes on the web server and is then served to users, making it particularly dangerous as it can bypass client-side security measures and appear to originate from a legitimate source. This type of vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 Phishing, as attackers can use the XSS flaw to create convincing phishing pages that appear to be legitimate application interfaces.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements. The primary fix involves implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms that sanitize all user-supplied parameters before processing them within the application. The chemin parameter should be validated against expected patterns and encoded appropriately when rendered in HTML contexts to prevent script execution. Organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution sources and deploy web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious parameter values. The vulnerability's potential relationship to CVE-2006-1492 suggests that this represents part of a broader security issue within the Explorer XP application, warranting comprehensive security auditing of the entire application stack. Additionally, regular security training for developers on secure coding practices and input validation techniques can prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in future versions of the application. The remediation efforts should also include implementing proper error handling that does not expose internal application details to end users, as this information can aid attackers in developing more sophisticated exploitation techniques.