CVE-2006-2165 in Avactis Shopping Cart
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Avactis Shopping Cart 0.1.2 and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) category_id parameter in (a) store_special_offers.php and (b) store.php and (2) prod_id parameter in (c) product_info.php. NOTE: this issue might be resultant from SQL injection.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/05/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-2165 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Avactis Shopping Cart versions 0.1.2 and earlier. This security weakness resides in the web application's handling of user-supplied input parameters within several key PHP script files. The vulnerability manifests through multiple attack vectors that collectively undermine the application's input validation mechanisms and output encoding practices. The affected parameters include category_id in store_special_offers.php and store.php, as well as prod_id in product_info.php, all of which fail to properly sanitize or encode user-provided data before rendering it within web pages.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it squarely within the scope of CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly encode or escape user-controllable data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content. This flaw allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute within the context of other users' browsers, creating a persistent security risk that can affect all visitors to the compromised web application. The vulnerability's classification as a potential SQL injection derivative suggests that the underlying issue may stem from inadequate data sanitization practices that leave the application susceptible to both XSS and potentially more severe database compromise attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers to perform session hijacking, deface web pages, steal sensitive user information, and potentially escalate privileges within the application. When attackers exploit these parameters, they can craft malicious URLs that, when visited by unsuspecting users, execute unauthorized scripts in the victim's browser context. The attack vectors through category_id and prod_id parameters create multiple entry points for exploitation, increasing the likelihood of successful compromise. The vulnerability's presence in core shopping cart functionality means that any user interaction with product listings or special offers could serve as an attack surface for malicious actors.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all affected script files. The recommended approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied parameters using appropriate encoding functions before incorporating them into web page content. This includes implementing proper HTML entity encoding for output rendering and employing strict input validation that rejects or filters out potentially malicious content. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to add an additional layer of protection against script execution. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.002 for command and scripting interpreter, specifically focusing on web shell execution through XSS vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other application components, as this vulnerability represents a common pattern in legacy web applications where input validation was insufficiently implemented.