CVE-2006-3848 in IP Calculator
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in CGI wrapper for IP Calculator (IPCalc) 0.40 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the URI (REQUEST_URI environment variable), which is used in the actionurl variable.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/17/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-3848 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the CGI wrapper implementation of the IPCalc IP Calculator version 0.40. This issue resides in the web application's handling of user-supplied input through the REQUEST_URI environment variable, which is subsequently incorporated into the actionurl variable without proper sanitization or encoding. The vulnerability specifically affects web applications that utilize the IPCalc CGI wrapper for IP address calculation functionality, making it exploitable in environments where this particular software version is deployed.
The technical mechanism of this vulnerability stems from the improper handling of input data within the CGI wrapper's processing logic. When a user makes a request to the web application, the REQUEST_URI environment variable contains the full URI of the request, including any query parameters or path information. The CGI wrapper for IPCalc fails to sanitize this input before incorporating it into the actionurl variable that is subsequently rendered in the web page's HTML output. This creates a direct path for malicious script execution when the vulnerable page is rendered in a user's browser, as the unsanitized URI data is treated as executable content rather than plain text.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of the victim's browser session. This can lead to various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of web pages, redirection to malicious sites, or the execution of additional attacks through the compromised browser context. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the web application layer and can be exploited without requiring any special privileges or authentication, making it accessible to any remote attacker who can craft a malicious URI request. The attack vector is straightforward and typically involves crafting a specially formatted URI that includes malicious script code within the REQUEST_URI parameter, which then gets executed when the vulnerable page is accessed.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications. The weakness exists in the improper neutralization of input during web page generation, where user-provided data is directly incorporated into dynamic web content without appropriate output encoding or sanitization measures. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers the use of scripting languages for execution, as the malicious scripts injected through this vulnerability can be used to perform various malicious activities. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding measures, including the use of proper HTML escaping techniques for all dynamic content generation, to prevent this class of vulnerability from being exploited in their web applications. The remediation approach requires ensuring that all environment variables and user-supplied inputs are properly sanitized before being used in dynamic content generation, with particular attention to URI handling within CGI applications.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and output encoding practices in web application security, particularly in legacy CGI-based applications that may not have been designed with modern security considerations in mind. The flaw underscores the need for regular security assessments of web applications and the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions to avoid known vulnerabilities that have been addressed in subsequent releases.