CVE-2006-3399 in MoniWiki
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in wiki.php in MoniWiki before 1.1.2-20060702 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary Javascript via the URL, which is reflected back in an error message, a variant of CVE-2004-1632.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-3399 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the MoniWiki wiki application, specifically affecting versions prior to 1.1.2-20060702. This security weakness resides in the wiki.php script and demonstrates how web applications can inadvertently execute malicious javascript code when processing user-supplied input. The vulnerability operates by allowing remote attackers to inject javascript payloads through URL parameters that are subsequently reflected back to users in error messages, creating a persistent vector for malicious code execution.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability follows a reflected attack pattern where user input flows directly into the application's output without proper sanitization or encoding. When a user accesses a malformed URL containing javascript code, the wiki application processes this input and displays it within an error message context, thereby executing the injected script in the victim's browser. This variant of the vulnerability is particularly concerning as it directly relates to CVE-2004-1632, indicating a recurring pattern in wiki software implementations where input validation mechanisms fail to properly handle potentially malicious data streams.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations utilizing MoniWiki as their collaborative platform. Attackers can leverage this flaw to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The reflected nature of the attack means that victims must actually visit the malicious URL, making it more difficult to exploit automatically compared to stored XSS variants. However, the potential for social engineering attacks remains high as users may be tricked into clicking on seemingly legitimate links that contain the malicious javascript payload. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the wiki application by potentially allowing unauthorized access to sensitive information and disruption of normal operations.
Security practitioners should implement multiple layers of defense to address this vulnerability, beginning with immediate patching to versions 1.1.2-20060702 or later where the issue has been resolved. Input validation and output encoding mechanisms must be strengthened to ensure that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being rendered in the application's output. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script execution, while proper error handling should prevent sensitive information from being exposed in error messages. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a typical attack pattern categorized under the ATT&CK framework as T1566.001 - Phishing, where attackers exploit web application vulnerabilities to deliver malicious payloads to unsuspecting users. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications within their infrastructure.