CVE-2006-2635 in Tikiwiki
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Tikiwiki (aka Tiki CMS/Groupware) 1.9.x allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via malformed nested HTML tags such as "<scr<script>ipt>" in (1) offset and (2) days parameters in (a) tiki-lastchanges.php, the (3) find and (4) offset parameters in (b) tiki-orphan_pages.php, the (5) offset and (6) initial parameters in (c) tiki-listpages.php, and (7) an unspecified field in (d) tiki-remind_password.php; and allow remote authenticated users with admin privileges to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (8) an unspecified field in a metatags action in (e) tiki-admin.php, the (9) offset parameter in (f) tiki-admin_rssmodules.php, the (10) offset and (11) max parameters in (g) tiki-syslog.php, the (12) numrows parameter in (h) tiki-adminusers.php, (13) an unspecified field in (i) tiki-adminusers.php, (14) an unspecified field in (j) tiki-admin_hotwords.php, unspecified fields in (15) "Assign new module" and (16) "Create new user module" in (k) tiki-admin_modules.php, (17) an unspecified field in "Add notification" in (l) tiki-admin_notifications.php, (18) the offset parameter in (m) tiki-admin_notifications.php, the (19) Name and (20) Dsn fields in (o) tiki-admin_dsn.php, the (21) offset parameter in (p) tiki-admin_content_templates.php, (22) an unspecified field in "Create new template" in (q) tiki-admin_content_templates.php, and the (23) offset parameter in (r) tiki-admin_chat.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/07/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-2635 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Tikiwiki version 1.9.x, a popular content management system and groupware platform. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms within multiple PHP scripts that process user-supplied parameters. The flaw allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code through carefully crafted nested HTML tags such as "<scr<script>ipt>" which bypasses basic filtering mechanisms by exploiting the way the application processes malformed HTML structures. The vulnerability affects numerous administrative and user-facing scripts across the Tikiwiki application, demonstrating a systemic weakness in parameter handling throughout the codebase.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves multiple attack vectors across different PHP files including tiki-lastchanges.php, tiki-orphan_pages.php, tiki-listpages.php, and several administrative interfaces such as tiki-admin.php, tiki-admin_rssmodules.php, and tiki-syslog.php. Attackers can exploit these vulnerabilities through various parameters including offset, days, find, initial, max, numrows, and unspecified fields that are processed without proper sanitization. The specific use of nested HTML tags like "<scr<script>ipt>" demonstrates a sophisticated approach to bypassing basic XSS protections, as the malformed structure can evade simple regular expression filters and HTML entity encoding mechanisms. This type of vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe for Tikiwiki installations, as it allows both unauthenticated and authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of victim browsers. Remote attackers can leverage these vulnerabilities to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, deface websites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The fact that authenticated administrators with admin privileges can also exploit unspecified fields in administrative interfaces such as tiki-admin.php and tiki-admin_modules.php creates a particularly dangerous scenario where attackers could escalate their privileges or gain complete control over the application. The widespread nature of affected scripts across different functional areas of the application means that exploitation opportunities are abundant and the potential for damage is significant.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-2635 should focus on comprehensive input validation and output encoding throughout the Tikiwiki application. All user-supplied parameters must be rigorously sanitized using proper HTML entity encoding before being rendered in web pages, with particular attention to the specific parameters mentioned in the vulnerability description. The application should implement a whitelist-based approach to parameter validation, rejecting any input that contains potentially dangerous characters or patterns. Additionally, the use of Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Organizations should also implement proper access controls and audit logging to detect unauthorized administrative access attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, highlighting the need for comprehensive web application security measures including regular security audits, input validation testing, and secure coding practices. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing proper security controls in web applications and serves as a reminder of the need for regular security updates and vulnerability assessments in content management systems.