CVE-2006-2556 in NewsPortal
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Florian Amrhein NewsPortal before 0.37, and possibly TR Newsportal (TRanx rebuilded), allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/27/2018
The CVE-2006-2556 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw affecting Florian Amrhein NewsPortal versions prior to 037 and potentially TR Newsportal which is a rebuild of the original software. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, specifically within the context of web applications that fail to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code through unspecified input vectors, creating a significant security risk for web applications that process user-contributed content.
The technical flaw manifests when the news portal software fails to adequately validate or sanitize input data that is later rendered in web pages. This occurs because the application does not properly escape or filter special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code by web browsers. When user-supplied data containing malicious scripts is processed and displayed without proper sanitization, browsers execute this injected code in the context of the victim's session, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or arbitrary code execution on affected systems. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the presentation layer where user input becomes part of the web page content, making it difficult to distinguish between legitimate and malicious input.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption or display issues, as it provides attackers with a vector for more sophisticated attacks within the web application environment. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform session hijacking by stealing cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or even execute commands on behalf of the victim. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the web application, as it can lead to unauthorized access to user sessions, data manipulation, and potential complete compromise of the affected web application. Organizations using affected versions of the news portal software face significant risks, particularly in environments where users can submit content or where the application handles sensitive information.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-2556 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding techniques to prevent malicious code injection. The recommended approach includes implementing comprehensive input sanitization that filters or escapes special characters before processing user input, utilizing proper output encoding when rendering content in web pages, and implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution. Additionally, upgrading to version 0.37 or later of Florian Amrhein NewsPortal resolves the vulnerability by incorporating proper input validation and sanitization mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in their web applications. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which involves the exploitation of web application vulnerabilities for initial access and privilege escalation within target environments.