CVE-2010-4966 in Netvolution
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in default.asp in ATCOM Netvolution allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the query parameter in a Search action.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/15/2019
The CVE-2010-4966 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the ATCOM Netvolution web application platform, specifically affecting the default.asp component during search operations. This vulnerability resides in the application's handling of user-supplied input through query parameters, creating an exploitable pathway for malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's response. The flaw manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize or encode user input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages, thereby enabling attackers to execute malicious code within the context of other users' browsers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where web applications fail to properly validate or encode user-supplied data before including it in output that is served to other users. This particular weakness operates at the application layer where input validation mechanisms are insufficient or completely absent, allowing attackers to craft malicious payloads that exploit the search functionality's parameter handling. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal prerequisites as attackers only need to construct a specially crafted URL containing malicious script code within the query parameter, which when processed by the vulnerable application gets executed in the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-4966 extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, deface web pages, steal sensitive information, or redirect users to malicious sites. When an authenticated user interacts with the vulnerable search functionality, the malicious script executes within their browser session, potentially compromising their credentials or sensitive data. The vulnerability's remote nature means attackers can exploit it from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous for web applications handling sensitive user data. This weakness directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001, which describes the use of web applications for initial access through phishing or malicious payloads.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate security gap and the underlying architectural issues that allowed the flaw to exist. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms that properly sanitize all user-supplied data before processing or displaying it within web responses. The application should employ context-appropriate encoding for different output contexts including HTML, JavaScript, and URL parameters. Security patches should include proper parameter validation that rejects or sanitizes potentially dangerous characters and sequences. Additionally, implementing a web application firewall can provide an additional layer of protection by detecting and blocking malicious payloads attempting to exploit this vulnerability. Regular security assessments and code reviews should focus on input handling routines and parameter validation to prevent similar issues from emerging in other components of the application stack. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of applying the principle of least privilege and defensive programming practices in web application development.