CVE-2006-7158 in APEX
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Oracle Application Express (APEX) before 2.2.1, aka Oracle HTML DB, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the NOTIFICATION_MSG parameter. NOTE: it is likely that this issue overlaps one of the identifiers in CVE-2006-5351.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2018
Oracle Application Express commonly known as Oracle HTML DB represents a web-based application development framework that enables rapid development of database-driven web applications. This particular vulnerability exists within the notification messaging functionality of the platform and specifically affects versions prior to 2.2.1. The flaw manifests as a cross-site scripting vulnerability that permits malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's user interface. The vulnerability is triggered through manipulation of the NOTIFICATION_MSG parameter which is used to display messages to end users within the APEX environment. This parameter fails to properly sanitize user input before rendering it within the web page context, creating an avenue for attackers to execute malicious code in the browsers of unsuspecting users.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which defines the common weakness of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically categorized as a reflected XSS attack since the malicious payload is reflected back to users through the vulnerable parameter. The attack vector operates through a remote exploitation model where an attacker can craft malicious URLs containing the XSS payload in the NOTIFICATION_MSG parameter and deliver these to victims who then click on the links. When the victim's browser loads the page containing the malicious notification, the script executes in the context of the victim's session, potentially allowing attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions, or redirect users to malicious sites. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks including session hijacking and credential theft.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability are significant for organizations utilizing Oracle APEX applications, particularly those handling sensitive data or user information. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can gain unauthorized access to user sessions, potentially leading to data breaches, privilege escalation, or complete compromise of the application's security posture. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the user interface and can be used to deface applications or redirect users to phishing sites. Given that APEX applications are often used for business-critical processes, this vulnerability represents a substantial risk to organizational security. The overlap with CVE-2006-5351 suggests that this may represent a broader class of vulnerabilities within the Oracle APEX platform that require comprehensive remediation. Organizations using affected versions must urgently implement security patches or mitigations to prevent exploitation.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching to version 2.2.1 or later where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper input sanitization and validation. Additionally, organizations should implement proper parameter validation and output encoding for all user-supplied input within the application. The principle of least privilege should be enforced, limiting the impact of potential exploitation. Network-based mitigations such as web application firewalls can provide additional protection layers, though they should not be considered a substitute for proper code-level fixes. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in notification message handling, and regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the application codebase. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation and output encoding practices as recommended by the OWASP Top Ten project and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter.