CVE-2006-2571 in OpenCms
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in search.html in Alkacon OpenCms 6.0.0, 6.0.2, and 6.0.3 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the query parameter in a search action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/27/2018
The CVE-2006-2571 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in Alkacon OpenCms versions 6.0.0, 6.0.2, and 6.0.3 that exposes web applications to remote code execution through malicious input manipulation. This vulnerability specifically affects the search.html component within the content management system, creating an attack vector that enables unauthorized users to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The flaw occurs when the application fails to properly sanitize user input passed through the query parameter during search operations, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of the victim's browser session.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a classic XSS attack pattern where malicious input is not adequately validated or escaped before being rendered in web pages. When users perform search operations through the affected search.html interface, the application processes the query parameter without sufficient sanitization measures, creating an environment where attacker-controlled data can be executed as client-side code. This weakness directly maps to CWE-79, which defines cross-site scripting vulnerabilities as the failure to properly escape output data, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through web application attacks. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious sites, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where OpenCms serves as a content management platform.
The operational implications of CVE-2006-2571 are significant for organizations utilizing affected OpenCms versions, as the vulnerability can be exploited by remote attackers without requiring authentication or privileged access. Attackers can craft malicious search queries containing script tags or other HTML elements that execute when other users browse the affected search results page. This creates persistent threats where compromised users may unknowingly execute malicious code, potentially leading to complete system compromise through session manipulation or data exfiltration. The vulnerability particularly affects web applications that rely on OpenCms for content delivery, as it undermines the trust model between the application and its users. Organizations may experience unauthorized access to sensitive content, potential data breaches, and reputational damage when this vulnerability is exploited in production environments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-2571 should prioritize immediate patching of affected OpenCms installations to the latest available versions that address the XSS vulnerability. System administrators should implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent malicious code injection, ensuring that all user-supplied data passed through search parameters undergoes rigorous sanitization before processing. Security measures should include implementing content security policies that restrict script execution and employing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious search queries. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security assessments of their OpenCms implementations to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components and establish secure coding practices that align with OWASP top ten recommendations. The remediation process must include thorough testing of patched systems to ensure that the XSS vulnerability is fully resolved while maintaining application functionality and user experience standards.