CVE-2006-2282 in X7 Chat
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in X7 Chat 2.0.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a javascript URI in the URL of an avatar, possibly related to the avatar parameter in register.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/10/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-2282 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw that existed within X7 Chat version 2.0.2 and earlier systems. This type of security weakness allows malicious actors to inject client-side scripts into web applications that are then executed by other users. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize user input related to avatar URLs, creating an opening for attackers to exploit the system's trust in user-provided data. The issue occurs within the register.php file where the avatar parameter is processed without adequate validation or encoding mechanisms.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves crafting a malicious URL that contains a javascript URI within the avatar parameter field during user registration. When the vulnerable application processes this input, it fails to properly escape or validate the javascript code, allowing it to be executed in the context of other users' browsers. This creates a persistent threat where any user who views the malicious avatar will unknowingly execute the injected script. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages the application's legitimate functionality for user avatars while turning it into a vector for malicious code delivery.
From an operational impact perspective, this XSS vulnerability enables attackers to perform several harmful activities including session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of user profiles, and redirection to malicious websites. The attack can be amplified through social engineering techniques where attackers convince users to register with malicious avatars, or through automated methods that target existing user accounts. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the chat system by potentially allowing unauthorized access to user sessions, modification of user data, and disruption of normal communication patterns. Users may unknowingly become compromised victims of the attack, making detection and remediation more challenging.
Security practitioners should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability, including input validation, output encoding, and proper sanitization of all user-provided content. The fix requires ensuring that any URL input, particularly for avatar images, undergoes strict validation to prevent javascript protocol execution. This aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities and recommends proper input validation and output encoding as primary mitigation strategies. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies and using web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of validating all user inputs regardless of their apparent legitimacy, as user registration parameters often represent one of the most common attack vectors in web applications. This case study emphasizes the need for comprehensive security testing during development phases and regular security audits to identify and remediate such vulnerabilities before they can be exploited in production environments.