CVE-2006-2553 in DownloadControl
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Jemscripts DownloadControl 1.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTML or web script via the dcid parameter to dc.php. NOTE: the provenance of this information is unknown; the details are obtained solely from third party information. This issue appears to be independent from a different issue that involves the same vector.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/27/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-2553 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Jemscripts DownloadControl 1.0 web application. This security weakness resides in the dc.php script which processes the dcid parameter, creating an avenue for remote attackers to execute malicious code within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting attacks where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web page content without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms. The attack vector involves manipulation of the dcid parameter to inject arbitrary HTML or JavaScript code that gets executed when other users view the affected page.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental failure in input validation and output encoding practices within the DownloadControl application. When the dcid parameter is processed by dc.php, the application fails to sanitize or escape user-supplied input before incorporating it into the dynamic web page generation. This lack of proper input sanitization creates an environment where malicious actors can inject script payloads that persist in the application's response. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through various methods including direct URL manipulation, form submissions, or injection via HTTP headers, making it particularly dangerous due to its broad exploitation potential.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables attackers to establish persistent malicious presence within the target environment. Successful exploitation allows threat actors to perform actions such as stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, modifying page content, or executing unauthorized commands on behalf of authenticated users. This vulnerability particularly affects users who trust the DownloadControl application, as the injected scripts execute in their browser context with the privileges of their current session. The attack can lead to account takeovers, data exfiltration, and establishment of backdoor access points within the organization's network infrastructure. From an att&ck framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to technique T1531 - Account Access Removal and T1059 - Command and Scripting Interpreter, as it enables both credential theft and remote code execution capabilities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-2553 should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The primary defense involves sanitizing all user-supplied input parameters, particularly the dcid parameter in this case, by employing proper HTML entity encoding before incorporating data into web responses. Organizations should implement a comprehensive input validation framework that rejects or removes potentially dangerous characters and patterns from all incoming data. Additionally, the application should enforce strict output encoding for all dynamic content generation, ensuring that any data rendered in HTML contexts is properly escaped to prevent script execution. Security headers such as Content-Security-Policy should be implemented to further restrict script execution and prevent unauthorized code injection. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security audits and code reviews to identify similar input handling issues within legacy applications. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to provide additional protection layers against known attack patterns and ensure that all third-party components are regularly updated to address known vulnerabilities.