CVE-2006-5599 in Application Express
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Oracle Application Express (formerly HTML DB) before 2.2.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTML or web script via the WWV_FLOW_ITEM_HELP package. NOTE: it is likely that this issue overlaps one of the Oracle VulnIDs covered by CVE-2006-5351. Oracle has not publicly disputed claims by a reliable researcher that this has been fixed by the October 2006 CPU.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/25/2026
Oracle Application Express represents a web-based development environment that enables rapid application development and deployment for enterprise environments. The vulnerability exists within the WWV_FLOW_ITEM_HELP package which handles help text generation for application items. This package fails to properly sanitize user input before rendering it within the web application interface, creating an opportunity for malicious actors to inject arbitrary HTML or JavaScript code. The flaw occurs during the processing of help text parameters where user-supplied data is directly incorporated into dynamic web content without appropriate encoding or validation measures.
The technical implementation of this cross-site scripting vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the Oracle Application Express framework. When administrators or users provide help text content through the WWV_FLOW_ITEM_HELP package, the system does not perform proper HTML escaping or sanitization of the input data. This allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that contain script tags or other HTML elements which execute within the context of authenticated users' browsers. The vulnerability affects versions prior to 2.2.1 and represents a classic reflected XSS attack vector where malicious scripts are injected into the web application and subsequently executed by unsuspecting users who view the affected help text.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, steal authentication tokens, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. Since Oracle Application Express is commonly used in enterprise environments where users maintain elevated privileges, successful exploitation could lead to complete compromise of the application and underlying database systems. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the web application by allowing unauthorized code execution in the context of legitimate user sessions.
Security professionals should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability including input validation, output encoding, and proper application security controls. The recommended remediation involves upgrading to Oracle Application Express version 2.2.1 or later where the issue has been addressed through proper input sanitization and HTML encoding mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls, content security policies, and regular security assessments to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of their Oracle Application Express implementations. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which describes cross-site scripting flaws and represents a significant risk to web application security in enterprise environments where Oracle Application Express is deployed.
The vulnerability demonstrates how insufficient input validation in web application frameworks can lead to severe security implications. The overlap with CVE-2006-5351 indicates that Oracle was addressing multiple related issues in their October 2006 CPU patch cycle. This case illustrates the importance of comprehensive security testing and validation of web application components, particularly those handling user-generated content. Organizations should maintain updated security patches and conduct regular vulnerability assessments to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities in enterprise web applications. The remediation process should include thorough testing to ensure that the patch does not introduce regressions in application functionality while effectively addressing the XSS vulnerability through proper input sanitization techniques.