CVE-2006-5122 in Mercury SiteScope
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Mercury SiteScope 8.2 (8.1.2.0) allow remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) "any field create name field" except "create new group name" or (2) any description field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/23/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-5122 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in Mercury SiteScope version 8.2, specifically affecting the 8.1.2.0 build. This vulnerability resides within the web application's input validation mechanisms, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's user interface. The flaw affects multiple areas of the application's data entry points, specifically targeting fields used for creating new entities and describing existing ones. The vulnerability's presence in the authentication context suggests that attackers do not require elevated privileges to exploit this weakness, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by any authenticated user within the system. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without proper sanitization or encoding.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when authenticated users interact with the application's interface, particularly during the creation or modification of entities within the SiteScope environment. Attackers can manipulate the "any field create name field" excluding the "create new group name" field, as well as any description field, to inject malicious scripts that will execute in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability's scope extends to the application's user interface rendering logic, where user-provided content is directly embedded into web pages without adequate input validation or output encoding. This allows attackers to craft payloads that can steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The attack vector leverages the application's trust in user input, where the system fails to properly sanitize or escape data before displaying it to other users, creating a persistent XSS vulnerability that can affect any user who views the compromised content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking, as it represents a fundamental weakness in the application's security architecture that can be exploited for more sophisticated attacks. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can potentially establish a foothold within the SiteScope environment, using the compromised user sessions to access sensitive monitoring data, system configurations, or network infrastructure information that SiteScope typically manages. The vulnerability's persistence stems from the fact that the malicious scripts are stored within the application's database and executed whenever other users view the affected content, making it particularly dangerous for environments where SiteScope is used for critical infrastructure monitoring. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers Social Engineering tactics, specifically focusing on the exploitation of web application vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access or execute malicious code in user browsers.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention and should include implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data handling processes. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user-provided input before storing or rendering it within the application's interface, utilizing proper HTML escaping techniques to prevent script execution. Organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit the sources from which scripts can be loaded and executed within the application's context. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the application's codebase. The implementation of proper access controls and monitoring mechanisms can help detect anomalous user behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Patch management procedures should be established to ensure that all instances of Mercury SiteScope are updated to versions that address this vulnerability, as the original version 8.2 contains this flaw that has been documented and remediated in subsequent releases.