CVE-2006-6989 in NetCaptor
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-domain vulnerability in NetCaptor 4.5.7 Personal Edition allows remote attackers to access restricted information from other domains via an object tag with a data parameter that references a link on the attacker s originating site that specifies a Location HTTP header that references the target site, which then makes that content available through the outerHTML attribute of the object, a similar vulnerability to CVE-2006-3280.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/19/2018
This vulnerability exists in NetCaptor 4.5.7 Personal Edition and represents a significant cross-domain security flaw that enables remote attackers to bypass domain isolation mechanisms. The vulnerability operates through a sophisticated manipulation of HTML object tags and HTTP headers, specifically exploiting the data parameter attribute to reference malicious content from an attacker-controlled domain. When a victim's browser processes an object tag containing a data parameter that points to a link on the attacker's originating site, the system's handling of the Location HTTP header creates an unexpected information disclosure channel. The attack leverages the fact that when the target site is referenced through this mechanism, the content becomes accessible through the outerHTML attribute of the object element, effectively allowing unauthorized data retrieval across domain boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic cross-site scripting or cross-domain information leakage pattern that aligns with CWE-94, which describes improper control of generation of code, and CWE-200, which addresses exposure of sensitive information. The flaw occurs because NetCaptor fails to properly validate or sanitize cross-domain references, allowing the browser to execute code or retrieve content from unauthorized domains. This particular implementation follows a similar attack pattern to CVE-2006-3280, indicating that the vulnerability represents a known class of flaws in web browser security implementations. The Location HTTP header manipulation creates an unexpected code path where content from one domain can be made accessible to another domain through the object element's outerHTML property, effectively bypassing the same-origin policy that normally protects against such cross-domain access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows attackers to extract sensitive information from other domains without proper authentication or authorization. An attacker could potentially access protected resources, user data, or system information that should normally be restricted to specific domains. This creates a significant risk for users who browse the web with NetCaptor 4.5.7, as any malicious website could leverage this vulnerability to gather information from other sites the user may have visited or accessed. The attack requires minimal user interaction beyond visiting a malicious page, making it particularly dangerous in phishing or social engineering scenarios where users are unknowingly exposed to information disclosure attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper cross-domain access controls and input validation within the NetCaptor application. The most effective approach involves strengthening the handling of HTTP headers, particularly the Location header, to prevent unauthorized cross-domain content references. Security measures should include validating all object tag parameters against known safe sources and implementing strict domain isolation policies that prevent content from one domain from being exposed through another domain's context. Additionally, the application should enforce proper sanitization of all user-supplied content and implement comprehensive input validation to prevent malicious data from being processed through the vulnerable object element attributes. Organizations should also consider implementing network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content security policies to further reduce the attack surface. This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper security implementation in web browsers and the necessity of adhering to established security standards and best practices as outlined in the ATT&CK framework's web application security categories.