CVE-2006-4088 in CivicSpace
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in CivicSpace 0.8.5 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) Subject, (2) Comment, and (3) Add new comment sections.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/02/2018
The CVE-2006-4088 vulnerability affects CivicSpace version 0.8.5, a web-based content management system designed for community engagement and collaboration. This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of affected web applications. The vulnerability specifically manifests in three distinct input vectors including the Subject field, Comment section, and Add new comment functionality, making it particularly dangerous as it targets multiple user interaction points within the application's interface.
This cross-site scripting vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the CivicSpace application. The flaw occurs when user-supplied data is directly incorporated into web pages without proper sanitization or encoding, allowing attackers to inject malicious HTML or JavaScript code. The vulnerability is classified as a classic reflected XSS issue where malicious payloads are executed when users view pages containing the injected content. According to CWE standards, this corresponds to CWE-79 which defines the weakness of improper neutralization of input during web page generation, specifically in the context of HTML and JavaScript code injection.
The operational impact of CVE-2006-4088 is substantial as it allows attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious websites. An attacker could craft a malicious comment or subject line that, when viewed by other users, would execute JavaScript code in their browsers. This could lead to unauthorized access to user accounts, data exfiltration, or the installation of malware on victim systems. The vulnerability affects the application's integrity and user trust, as legitimate users may unknowingly interact with malicious content that has been injected by attackers.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK techniques related to initial access through web application attacks and privilege escalation via session manipulation. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it leverages user interaction patterns common to community platforms where users regularly submit comments and create content. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input sanitization practices and highlights the importance of implementing comprehensive security measures such as output encoding, input validation, and Content Security Policy headers. Organizations utilizing CivicSpace or similar platforms should implement immediate mitigations including proper HTML escaping, input validation, and regular security updates to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability and maintain the security posture of their web applications.