CVE-2010-1520 in TaskFreak!
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in logout.php in TaskFreak! Original multi user before 0.6.4 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the tznMessage parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/18/2021
The CVE-2010-1520 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw in the TaskFreak is a web-based task management system designed for multiple users, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could be exploited by unauthorized individuals to compromise user sessions and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive project data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of user-supplied input within the logout process. When the tznMessage parameter is passed to logout.php, the application fails to properly escape or validate the input before rendering it in the web response. This creates an environment where malicious actors can craft specially formatted payloads that execute in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize input, specifically manifesting as a reflected cross-site scripting attack where the malicious script is reflected back to the user through the application's response. The flaw operates at the application layer and requires no special privileges to exploit, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where session management is critical.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can be leveraged to conduct session hijacking attacks, steal user credentials, or redirect victims to malicious websites. An attacker could craft a URL containing malicious JavaScript that, when clicked by an authenticated user during the logout process, would execute in the victim's browser and potentially compromise their session. This vulnerability directly violates security principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten, specifically addressing the risk of XSS in web applications. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it occurs during the logout process, when users may be less vigilant about the security of the page they are visiting. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers social engineering attacks that can be facilitated through XSS vulnerabilities to manipulate users into executing malicious code.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-1520 require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding measures. Organizations should upgrade to TaskFreak! version 0.6.4 or later, which includes the necessary patches to address this vulnerability. Additionally, developers should implement comprehensive input sanitization routines that escape special characters in all user-supplied parameters before rendering them in web responses. The application should employ Content Security Policy headers to prevent unauthorized script execution, and implement proper session management practices that invalidate session tokens upon logout. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious patterns in URL parameters. Regular security testing including dynamic application security testing and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the application stack, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of consistent security practices throughout all application modules rather than focusing solely on authentication mechanisms.