CVE-2008-6746 in Turba H3
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the contact display view in Turba Contact Manager H3 before 2.2.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the contact name.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/07/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6746 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the Turba Contact Manager H3 application, specifically affecting versions prior to 2.2.1. This vulnerability resides within the contact display view functionality, where user-provided contact names are rendered without adequate input sanitization or output encoding. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content directly through the contact name field, exploiting the application's failure to properly validate and escape user-supplied data before rendering it in the web interface.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting weaknesses in web applications. The flaw occurs because the Turba application does not implement proper input validation or output encoding mechanisms when displaying contact information in the user interface. When a malicious user creates or modifies a contact with specially crafted script code in the name field, this code gets executed in the context of other users who view the contact information, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or other malicious activities. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages the trust relationship between the application and its users, as legitimate contact names are processed without proper sanitization.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security risks for organizations using Turba Contact Manager H3. Attackers can exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary scripts in the browsers of other users who view affected contact records, potentially leading to complete compromise of user sessions. The impact extends beyond simple data theft, as attackers could redirect users to malicious sites, deface the contact manager interface, or establish persistent backdoors through the execution of malicious JavaScript code. This vulnerability undermines the integrity of the contact management system and can lead to broader security breaches within the organization's communication infrastructure.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to Turba Contact Manager H3 version 2.2.1 or later, which includes proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent XSS attacks. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures such as input sanitization at multiple layers, output encoding for all dynamic content, and regular security testing of web applications. Security practitioners should consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional protection against similar vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include thorough testing to ensure that the upgrade does not introduce compatibility issues with existing contact data or application functionality, while also establishing monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts.