CVE-2006-1950 in BannerFarm
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in banners.cgi in PerlCoders BannerFarm 2.3 and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) aff and (2) cat parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/18/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-1950 affects PerlCoders BannerFarm version 2.3 and earlier, specifically targeting the banners.cgi script which serves as a core component for banner management and display. This issue represents a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability that exploits improper input validation mechanisms within the web application's parameter handling. The affected parameters aff and cat are used to process affiliate and category identifiers respectively, but fail to adequately sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamic web content. This flaw exists within the application's server-side processing logic where user input directly influences the generation of HTML output without proper encoding or validation measures.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly escape or validate input data in the banners.cgi script. When the aff and cat parameters are processed, the system does not perform adequate sanitization checks to prevent malicious script code from being embedded within the parameter values. Attackers can craft malicious payloads containing javascript or html code within these parameters, which then get executed in the context of other users' browsers when the vulnerable page is accessed. The vulnerability is classified as a stored XSS when the malicious input is permanently stored and later displayed, or as a reflected XSS when the input is immediately reflected back in the page output without proper sanitization.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant security risks to organizations using the PerlCoders BannerFarm system. Remote attackers can exploit these vulnerabilities to execute malicious scripts in the browsers of unsuspecting users, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious websites. The attack surface is particularly concerning as banner systems are often integrated into high-traffic websites where the impact of successful exploitation can reach numerous users simultaneously. The vulnerability can be leveraged to create persistent malicious content that affects all visitors to the affected website, making it a critical security concern for web administrators and security teams responsible for maintaining web application integrity.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for the initial access phase through malicious web content. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in dynamic content generation. The recommended approach involves implementing proper HTML entity encoding for all output that incorporates user data, and establishing strict input validation rules that reject or sanitize potentially malicious content before processing. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide an additional layer of protection against script execution in compromised contexts. System administrators should also consider updating to newer versions of the BannerFarm software where these vulnerabilities have been addressed through proper input sanitization and validation mechanisms.