CVE-2006-6832 in Joomla
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Joomla! before 1.0.12 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors, possibly related to poll.php or the module title.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/21/2019
The CVE-2006-6832 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in Joomla! content management systems prior to version 1.0.12. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of victims. The flaw specifically affects the handling of user input within the poll.php component and module title parameters, creating attack vectors that can be exploited through various injection techniques.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within Joomla!'s core components. When users interact with poll functionality or module titles, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages. This oversight creates opportunities for attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code or HTML content that executes in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script injection, as it can be leveraged to manipulate the application's behavior, steal cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform unauthorized administrative actions. The unspecified vectors suggest that the flaw may exist across multiple entry points within the application's poll and module handling mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2006-6832 is significant for Joomla! installations running vulnerable versions, as it provides attackers with a straightforward method to compromise user sessions and potentially gain unauthorized access to administrative functions. Attackers can craft malicious URLs or poll submissions that, when viewed by other users, execute their payloads in the victims' browsers. This vulnerability particularly affects websites that rely heavily on user-generated content or polling features, as these components become potential attack vectors for malicious actors. The attack surface is further expanded when considering that the vulnerability affects the module title functionality, which could be present in various parts of the application including sidebars, headers, and other display areas where user input is rendered.
Security mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate patching and input validation improvements. Organizations should upgrade to Joomla! version 1.0.12 or later, which includes proper sanitization of user input and enhanced output encoding mechanisms. Additionally, implementing proper input validation routines that filter or escape special characters in user-supplied data can prevent malicious code injection. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and the MITRE ATT&CK framework's application security categories. Network monitoring and web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection by detecting and blocking suspicious input patterns, though these measures are secondary to proper code-level fixes. Regular security assessments and code reviews focusing on input handling and output encoding should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future versions of the application.