CVE-2006-4091 in Weblog
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Archangel Management Archangel Weblog 0.90.02 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) Name or (2) Comment section.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/02/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-4091 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the Archangel Management Archangel Weblog version 0.90.02 content management system. This vulnerability exposes the application to remote code execution through malicious script injection attacks that can be initiated by unauthenticated attackers. The flaw specifically affects two input fields within the weblog application's comment submission functionality, creating a persistent threat vector that can compromise user sessions and data integrity. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security weakness that allows attackers to inject malicious client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the Archangel Weblog application's comment processing mechanisms. When users submit comments or provide their names through the weblog interface, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape special characters in the input data before rendering it back to the browser. This lack of proper input sanitization creates an environment where attackers can embed malicious javascript code, html tags, or other harmful payloads within the Name or Comment fields. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the user interaction level, making it accessible to anyone who can submit content to the weblog without requiring authentication or elevated privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, deface web pages, steal sensitive user information, or redirect victims to malicious websites. When compromised users view affected weblog entries, their browsers execute the injected scripts, potentially leading to unauthorized access to personal data, modification of content, or redirection to phishing sites. The vulnerability affects the entire user base of the weblog application, making it a significant threat to the integrity and security of the entire platform. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to create persistent threats that remain active until the application is patched or the compromised content is removed from the system. This vulnerability also violates fundamental security principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten, specifically the A03:2021-Injection category, which encompasses XSS attacks as a primary method for executing malicious code in web applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-4091 require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the Archangel Weblog application. The most effective approach involves implementing strict input sanitization that removes or encodes potentially dangerous characters such as angle brackets, quotes, and script tags before processing user input. Additionally, developers should implement proper output encoding when rendering user-provided content back to browsers, ensuring that any special characters are properly escaped to prevent interpretation as executable code. Security headers such as Content Security Policy should be implemented to further restrict script execution and prevent unauthorized code injection. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and input validation reviews, as outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, particularly within the Protect and Detect functions. Organizations using this weblog software should prioritize immediate patching or upgrade to versions that address these security flaws, as the vulnerability remains exploitable and poses significant risk to web application security and user privacy.