CVE-2006-7078 in Professional Home Page Tools Login Script
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Professional Home Page Tools Login Script, as of July 2006, allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) name, (2) vorname, and (3) nachname parameters in the register script. NOTE: some details have been obtained from third party sources.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/13/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-7078 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Professional Home Page Tools Login Script version as of July 2006. This security weakness exposes the application to remote code execution through malicious web script injection, fundamentally compromising user data integrity and system security. The vulnerability specifically affects the registration functionality where user input is not properly sanitized or validated before being processed and stored within the application's database.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through three distinct parameter injection points within the register script functionality. Attackers can exploit the vulnerability by manipulating the name, vorname (first name), and nachname (last name) parameters to inject malicious HTML or JavaScript code. These parameters represent standard user registration fields that typically collect personal information, making them prime targets for exploitation. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly escape or sanitize user-supplied data before it is rendered back to other users or stored in the system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption, creating a significant attack surface that can be leveraged for various malicious activities. Successful exploitation enables attackers to execute arbitrary scripts within the context of affected users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious websites. The vulnerability affects all users who interact with the registration system, making it particularly dangerous in environments where user-generated content is displayed to other users. This type of vulnerability directly violates security principles outlined in the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Top Ten, specifically addressing injection flaws and cross-site scripting vulnerabilities.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the 'Command and Control' and 'Initial Access' phases, where adversaries establish persistent access through web-based attack vectors. The weakness creates a persistent threat that can be maintained across user sessions, allowing attackers to maintain control over compromised systems. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms as recommended by the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classification for CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting'). The vulnerability also relates to CWE-20: Improper Input Validation, highlighting the fundamental need for robust data sanitization processes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-7078 require immediate implementation of comprehensive input validation and output encoding measures. Organizations should implement strict sanitization of all user inputs, particularly those used in registration and profile management functions. The solution involves employing proper HTML entity encoding for all output that contains user-supplied data, preventing malicious scripts from executing in the browser context. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks. Regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, as this represents a systemic issue that may affect other input fields beyond the identified parameters. The vulnerability underscores the necessity of following secure coding practices and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to prevent similar weaknesses in future development cycles.