CVE-2006-1843 in ShoutBOOK
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in global.php in ShoutBOOK 1.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) LOCATION and (2) URL parameters. 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 • 07/24/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-1843 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw located within the global.php file of ShoutBOOK version 1.1. This security weakness manifests as a persistent XSS vulnerability that enables remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of users' browsers. The vulnerability specifically affects two parameter inputs named LOCATION and URL, which are processed without adequate sanitization or validation mechanisms. The attack vector operates through user-supplied data that gets directly incorporated into the web application's output without proper encoding or filtering, creating an environment where malicious payloads can be executed in the victim's browser context.
This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting weaknesses in web applications. The flaw demonstrates a classic input validation failure where the application fails to properly sanitize user-provided data before incorporating it into dynamic web content. The vulnerability's impact is significant as it allows attackers to bypass normal security restrictions that protect users from malicious scripts. When exploited, the XSS vulnerability can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of web content, and potential redirection to malicious sites. The attack requires no special privileges and can be executed through simple web requests containing malicious payloads in the vulnerable parameters.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity and security of the web application's user interactions. Attackers can leverage this weakness to steal session cookies, which would allow them to impersonate legitimate users and gain unauthorized access to protected resources. The vulnerability also enables more sophisticated attacks such as phishing attempts where users might be redirected to malicious sites that appear to be legitimate. The fact that this vulnerability affects multiple parameters within the same file increases the attack surface and the potential for successful exploitation. Security researchers have noted that such vulnerabilities often serve as entry points for more complex attack chains, where initial XSS exploitation leads to further compromises of the application and underlying systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-1843 should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied input through proper encoding before processing, particularly for HTML, JavaScript, and URL characters. Implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against XSS attacks by restricting script execution within the application. The application should also employ proper parameter validation to reject or sanitize any input containing potentially malicious content. Security updates and patches should be applied immediately to address this vulnerability, as the original version of ShoutBOOK 1.1 appears to lack proper input sanitization. Organizations should also implement web application firewalls and regular security scanning to detect similar vulnerabilities in other applications and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of input validation and output encoding in web application security, as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity guidelines for preventing cross-site scripting attacks.