CVE-2006-4975 in Yahoo!
Summary
by MITRE
Yahoo! Messenger for WAP permits saving messages that contain JavaScript, which allows user-assisted remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a URL at the online service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/25/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-4975 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within Yahoo Messenger, which was designed to provide mobile access to instant messaging capabilities through wireless networks. The flaw occurred when the messaging system failed to properly sanitize user input, allowing JavaScript code to be embedded within messages that would then be executed in the context of other users' browsers when they viewed the malicious content.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the Yahoo! Messenger WAP client. When users received messages containing malicious JavaScript code, the system did not properly filter or escape the content before displaying it to other users. This failure to implement proper sanitization techniques created an environment where attackers could craft URLs or HTML content that would be interpreted as executable code rather than plain text. The vulnerability essentially allowed attackers to execute arbitrary script code in the browser context of other users, making it a significant concern for user privacy and system security. The flaw aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without proper validation or escaping.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it created potential pathways for more sophisticated attacks including session hijacking, credential theft, and malicious payload delivery. Attackers could craft messages that would automatically redirect users to malicious websites or execute scripts that could harvest user information from the browser environment. The user-assisted nature of this attack means that victims needed to actively view the malicious message for the exploit to succeed, but this requirement did not significantly reduce the threat level given the widespread use of instant messaging systems. The vulnerability particularly affected mobile users who relied on WAP-enabled devices for communication, as these platforms often had less robust security controls than their desktop counterparts.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability would have required implementing comprehensive input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms within the Yahoo! Messenger WAP client. The most effective approach would have been to strip or escape all JavaScript code and HTML elements from incoming messages before displaying them to users, ensuring that any potentially dangerous content was neutralized. Security patches would have needed to address the root cause by modifying the message parsing and rendering logic to prevent the execution of embedded scripts. Organizations should have implemented proper web application security controls including content security policies and input validation frameworks to prevent similar issues from occurring. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of secure coding practices in messaging applications and the need for comprehensive security testing across all platform implementations. The attack vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers social engineering through messaging platforms, demonstrating how seemingly benign communication tools can become attack vectors when proper security controls are absent.