CVE-2006-4577 in The Address Book
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in The Address Book 1.04e allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via Javascript events in the (1) email, (2) websites, and (3) groupAddName parameters in (a) save.php; the (4) errorMsg parameter in (b) index.php; and the (5) goTo and (6) search parameters in (c) search.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/27/2017
The CVE-2006-4577 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in The Address Book version 1.04e, a web-based contact management application. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's processing logic, creating multiple entry points for malicious code injection. The flaw specifically affects parameters across three distinct PHP scripts including save.php, index.php, and search.php, demonstrating a widespread failure in the application's security architecture to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamic web content. The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-79, which identifies improper neutralization of input during web page generation as a primary weakness in web applications. This weakness enables attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of the victim's browser session, potentially compromising user data and system integrity.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of specific HTTP parameters that are processed without adequate sanitization measures. Attackers can inject malicious JavaScript code through the email, websites, and groupAddName parameters within the save.php script, while the errorMsg parameter in index.php and the goTo and search parameters in search.php provide additional attack vectors. These parameters represent common input points where user data is directly incorporated into HTML responses without proper HTML entity encoding or JavaScript context escaping. The vulnerability essentially allows an attacker to inject malicious payloads that execute in the victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or redirection to malicious websites. The attack requires no special privileges and can be executed through simple web browser interactions, making it particularly dangerous for widespread exploitation.
The operational impact of CVE-2006-4577 extends beyond simple data corruption, as it creates persistent security risks for all users of the affected application. When successful, these XSS vulnerabilities can enable attackers to steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or inject malicious content that modifies the application's behavior. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of address book management, potentially compromising sensitive contact information and personal data stored within the system. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001, which describes the use of malicious content delivery methods to establish initial access. The persistent nature of these vulnerabilities means that once exploited, they can continue to affect users until proper patches are applied, creating ongoing security exposure for organizations using the vulnerable software.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-4577 must address the fundamental input validation and output encoding deficiencies that enable the vulnerability. Organizations should immediately implement proper parameter sanitization across all affected scripts, ensuring that all user-supplied data undergoes HTML entity encoding before being rendered in web pages. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to prevent execution of unauthorized scripts. Input validation should be strengthened to reject or sanitize any characters that could be used in XSS attacks, particularly JavaScript event handlers and HTML tags. Regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in OWASP Top 10 and the principle of least privilege in web application development. System administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious input patterns targeting these specific parameters. Given the age of this vulnerability, the recommended long-term solution involves upgrading to a patched version of The Address Book or migrating to a more modern contact management solution with established security track records.