CVE-2011-2470 in Really Simple Chat
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in chat/base/admin/login.php in A Really Simple Chat (ARSC) 3.3-rc2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the arsc_message parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/29/2018
The CVE-2011-2470 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in A Really Simple Chat version 3.3-rc2, specifically within the chat/base/admin/login.php component. This vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before rendering it within web pages. The affected parameter arsc_message serves as the primary attack vector, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary HTML or JavaScript code into the application's administrative interface.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious payload containing script tags or HTML elements and submits it through the arsc_message parameter during the login process. When the application processes this input without proper sanitization, the injected code executes within the context of other users' browsers who access the administrative interface. This creates a persistent XSS condition that can be leveraged to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of victims, or redirect users to malicious domains. The vulnerability classifies under CWE-79 as "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')", which is a fundamental web application security weakness that has been consistently identified as one of the top ten OWASP risks for over a decade.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it provides attackers with persistent access to the administrative functions of the chat system. Once compromised, attackers can manipulate chat configurations, modify user permissions, inject malicious content into chat rooms, or even use the compromised administrative session to establish backdoors within the network. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or knowledge of valid credentials to exploit the flaw, making it particularly dangerous for publicly accessible chat applications. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript' and T1566.001 for 'Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment', as it enables the delivery of malicious JavaScript payloads that can further compromise the victim environment.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-2470 require immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The most effective approach involves implementing strict input sanitization that filters or escapes all user-supplied data before it is processed or displayed, particularly in administrative interfaces where sensitive operations occur. Organizations should deploy Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit script execution and prevent unauthorized code injection. Additionally, the application should implement proper output encoding for all parameters rendered in HTML contexts, ensuring that special characters are properly escaped to prevent script execution. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the application. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of secure coding practices and the need for comprehensive security testing throughout the software development lifecycle, particularly for web applications handling user input in privileged contexts.