CVE-2011-1737 in Palm webOS
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the Email application in HP Palm webOS 1.4.5 and 1.4.5.1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/13/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1737 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Email application of HP Palm webOS versions 1.4.5 and 1.4.5.1. This security weakness exposes users to potential malicious code injection attacks that can compromise their device and data integrity. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the email application's web interface, creating exploitable entry points for remote attackers.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability occurs through unspecified vectors within the email application's processing of user inputs and display mechanisms. Attackers can leverage this flaw by crafting malicious payloads that get executed when other users view the compromised email content. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize or encode user-controllable input data before its inclusion in dynamically generated web content. This weakness specifically targets the webOS platform's email handling capabilities, where user-provided data is not properly escaped or filtered before being rendered in the browser context.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-1737 extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, steal user credentials, redirect victims to malicious websites, or execute unauthorized actions within the context of the user's session. Given that this affects the email application on mobile devices, the attack surface includes not only the device itself but also any sensitive information stored locally or accessed through the compromised email functionality. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited across multiple user interactions and potentially affect the broader webOS ecosystem.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of affected webOS versions, implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. Organizations should also consider network-based detection measures aligned with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access and T1071.001 for application layer protocol usage. Additionally, user education regarding suspicious email content and regular security updates remain critical defensive measures. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and proper input sanitization in mobile operating system applications, particularly those handling user-generated content in web-based interfaces.