CVE-2006-5119 in Zen Cart
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Zen Cart 1.3.5 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) admin_name or (2) admin_pass parameter in (a) admin/login.php, or the (3) admin_email parameter in (b) admin/password_forgotten.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/23/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-5119 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Zen Cart version 1.3.5, a widely used open-source e-commerce platform. This vulnerability manifests in three distinct attack vectors within the administrative interface of the application, specifically targeting parameters that handle user authentication and password recovery functionality. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the web application's codebase, creating exploitable entry points for malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's response.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through improper handling of user-supplied input in three specific locations. The first vector involves the admin_name parameter within the admin/login.php file, while the second vector targets the admin_pass parameter in the same file. The third vulnerability exists in the admin_email parameter of the admin/password_forgotten.php file. These parameters receive user input without adequate sanitization, allowing attackers to submit malicious payloads that are then executed in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')", which is a fundamental web application security weakness that has been consistently identified as one of the top security risks in the OWASP Top Ten project.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant and far-reaching within the context of e-commerce security. Attackers can exploit these XSS flaws to execute malicious scripts in the browser of authenticated administrators, potentially leading to complete compromise of the administrative interface. This could result in unauthorized modifications to product catalogs, price manipulation, customer data theft, and the ability to create new administrative accounts. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it targets the administrative login and password recovery pages, which are critical entry points for system access. According to ATT&CK framework category T1190, this represents a web application attack that leverages the trust relationship between the application and its users to execute malicious code, potentially enabling further lateral movement within the compromised system.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal technical skill and can be accomplished through standard web-based attack methods. Attackers typically craft malicious payloads that are submitted through the vulnerable parameters, which are then stored or reflected in the application's response. When legitimate administrators access the affected pages, their browsers execute the injected scripts, potentially leading to session hijacking, data exfiltration, or complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects the authentication and authorization mechanisms of the application, undermining the security posture of the entire e-commerce platform. Organizations using Zen Cart 1.3.5 are particularly at risk since the vulnerability exists in the core administrative functionality, making it difficult to mitigate without proper input validation implementation. The attack surface is expanded by the fact that these vulnerabilities exist in files that are accessed during normal administrative operations, increasing the likelihood of successful exploitation. Remediation efforts must focus on implementing proper input sanitization, output encoding, and validation mechanisms across all user-supplied parameters, particularly those involved in authentication and administrative functions. This vulnerability underscores the critical importance of secure coding practices and input validation in web applications, as even minor oversights in parameter handling can lead to severe security consequences that compromise entire systems.