CVE-2006-2774 in QontentOne CMS
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in search.php in QontentOne CMS allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the search_phrase parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/21/2019
The CVE-2006-2774 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the QontentOne content management system that fundamentally compromises user session integrity and application security. This vulnerability specifically targets the search.php script where user input is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to web browsers. The affected parameter search_phrase serves as the primary attack vector, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary HTML or JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers who view the search results page. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices that fail to neutralize potentially dangerous characters and script tags that could be embedded within the search query strings.
This XSS vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a critical web application security weakness according to the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. The attack surface is particularly concerning as it leverages the CMS's legitimate search functionality to deliver malicious payloads, making detection more difficult and exploitation more effective. The vulnerability can be exploited through multiple vectors including reflected XSS where the malicious script is immediately reflected back to the user's browser without being stored on the server. Attackers can craft specially formatted search queries that when processed by the vulnerable application, execute malicious code in the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable sophisticated attacks such as session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious sites. When users perform searches containing malicious payloads, any subsequent page rendering of those search results will execute the injected scripts, potentially compromising user sessions and allowing attackers to impersonate legitimate users. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where users have administrative privileges or where sensitive data is accessible through the CMS interface. The reflected nature of the XSS means that attackers can deliver payloads through social engineering techniques such as phishing emails containing malicious search links or by compromising search functionality on public-facing websites.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-2774 should prioritize immediate input sanitization and output encoding measures to prevent the execution of unauthorized scripts. The most effective remediation involves implementing proper HTML entity encoding for all user-supplied input before rendering it in web pages, which aligns with the OWASP Top Ten security recommendations. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of defense by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Organizations should also consider deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious search parameter patterns. Regular security assessments and input validation testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, as this type of flaw often indicates broader security gaps in the application architecture that may require comprehensive security hardening measures. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in the ATT&CK framework's application security categories, particularly focusing on preventing injection flaws that can lead to various downstream security compromises including privilege escalation and data exfiltration.