CVE-2006-2003 in Community Architect Guestbook
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in cgi-bin/guest in Community Architect Guestbook allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML by signing the guestbook, which is displayed by fsguestbook.html. 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 • 09/05/2017
This cross-site scripting vulnerability exists in the Community Architect Guestbook application within the cgi-bin/guest component where user input is not properly sanitized before being rendered in the fsguestbook.html output page. The flaw allows remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content when signing the guestbook, which subsequently gets executed in the browsers of other visitors who view the guestbook entries. This represents a classic reflected XSS vulnerability where the malicious payload is stored on the server and then delivered to users when they access the guestbook page.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the guestbook application. When users submit entries through the signing process, the application fails to sanitize or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. The vulnerability specifically affects the fsguestbook.html page which displays guestbook entries without proper sanitization of user-provided content, creating an environment where malicious scripts can execute in the context of other users' browsers. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of the guestbook content, and redirection to malicious websites. An attacker could inject scripts that steal cookies or session tokens from users visiting the guestbook, potentially gaining unauthorized access to user accounts or administrative privileges. Additionally, the vulnerability could be exploited to deface the guestbook with malicious content or redirect users to phishing sites. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1531 - Account Access Token Manipulation and T1059.001 - Command and Scripting Interpreter, as attackers can leverage the XSS to execute arbitrary code in user browsers and manipulate account access tokens.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The application should sanitize all user input by removing or encoding potentially dangerous characters such as angle brackets, quotes, and script tags before storing or displaying the content. Implementing proper Content Security Policy headers can also help prevent script execution even if XSS payloads are somehow injected. The system should also employ proper output encoding when rendering guestbook entries, ensuring that any HTML or JavaScript content is treated as literal text rather than executable code. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be conducted to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in future versions of the application, with the implementation of secure coding practices and OWASP Top Ten mitigation techniques.