CVE-2006-6844 in CMS Made Simple
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the optional user comment module in CMS Made Simple 1.0.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the user comment form.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-6844 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the CMS Made Simple content management system version 1.0.2. This security weakness resides in the optional user comment module, which serves as a feature allowing visitors to submit feedback or remarks on website content. The vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly filter malicious content submitted through the comment form interface. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specially formatted comments containing malicious javascript code or html markup that gets executed in the browsers of other website visitors who view these comments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly sanitize user input before rendering it within the web page context. When users submit comments through the module interface, the system accepts the input without adequate filtering of potentially dangerous characters or script tags. This allows attackers to inject malicious code that gets stored in the database and subsequently executed whenever other users browse pages containing the compromised comments. The vulnerability is classified as a classic reflected cross-site scripting issue where user-supplied data flows directly into the web response without proper encoding or validation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to website administrators and their visitors. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw can execute arbitrary javascript code within the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious websites. The impact extends beyond simple data theft as attackers can leverage the compromised user sessions to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the entire website ecosystem, particularly when the CMS is used for business-critical applications or contains sensitive user data.
The security implications of CVE-2006-6844 align with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in web applications. This classification indicates that the flaw represents a fundamental weakness in input validation and output encoding practices that are essential for web security. According to ATT&CK framework category TA0001, this vulnerability falls under initial access techniques where adversaries establish footholds through web-based attack vectors. The attack surface is particularly concerning for content management systems as they often serve as central points of entry for broader network compromises, making proper input validation and output sanitization critical defensive measures.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of CMS Made Simple, implementing proper input validation at multiple layers, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. The recommended approach involves comprehensive sanitization of all user inputs through proper encoding techniques such as html entity encoding and implementing content security policies to limit script execution. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing rate limiting on comment submissions and regular security audits to identify similar vulnerabilities in other modules or components of the CMS. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of input validation in web applications and serves as a reminder of the ongoing need for security awareness in content management systems that handle user-generated content.