CVE-2010-3854 in CouchDB
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the web administration interface (aka Futon) in Apache CouchDB 0.8.0 through 1.0.1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/29/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-3854 represents a critical security flaw in Apache CouchDB's web administration interface known as Futon. This issue affects versions ranging from 0.8.0 through 1.0.1 and exposes the system to multiple cross-site scripting attacks that can be executed by remote attackers without any authentication requirements. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the Futon interface, creating exploitable entry points where malicious code can be injected and executed within the context of authenticated users' browsers.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. The flaw manifests when the Futon interface fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before rendering it in web pages, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that can execute in the victim's browser context. These unspecified vectors suggest that the vulnerability could be exploited through multiple pathways within the administrative interface, potentially including form fields, URL parameters, or other user-controllable inputs that are processed by the CouchDB web server.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-3854 is significant as it enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of authenticated users. This capability allows attackers to potentially steal session cookies, perform actions on behalf of users, redirect victims to malicious sites, or exfiltrate sensitive data from the CouchDB administration interface. Given that Futon provides access to administrative functions, successful exploitation could lead to complete compromise of the database system, including unauthorized access to stored documents, modification of database configurations, or even data destruction. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations using CouchDB for critical data storage where administrative access is required.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve immediate patching of affected CouchDB installations to versions that address the XSS flaws in the Futon interface. Organizations should also implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout their web applications, following security best practices outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and related security frameworks. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of the administrative interface to trusted networks only. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other web applications, with particular attention to the ATT&CK framework's web application attack patterns that emphasize the importance of input validation and output encoding in preventing XSS attacks.