CVE-2011-5209 in GraphicsClone Script
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in search/ in GraphicsClone Script, possibly 1.11, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the term parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/15/2024
The CVE-2011-5209 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the GraphicsClone Script application, specifically affecting the search functionality component. This vulnerability resides in the search/ directory of the software and impacts versions including but not limited to 1.11, creating a significant security risk for web applications that utilize this script. The flaw enables malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected user sessions, fundamentally compromising the integrity of web applications that rely on user input validation.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of the term parameter within the search functionality. When users submit search queries through the affected interface, the application fails to properly sanitize or encode user-supplied input before processing or displaying it within web pages. This inadequate input validation creates an environment where attackers can inject malicious payloads that execute in the browsers of other users who view the affected search results. The vulnerability specifically targets the search component, making it particularly dangerous as search functionality is typically one of the most frequently used features in web applications, maximizing the potential attack surface.
From an operational impact perspective, this XSS vulnerability allows attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of web content, and redirection to malicious websites. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors do not require physical access to the target system or network, enabling them to exploit the vulnerability from anywhere on the internet. Users who interact with the affected application become unwitting participants in executing malicious code, potentially leading to data breaches, unauthorized access to sensitive information, and complete compromise of user sessions. The vulnerability undermines the trust model of web applications and can result in significant reputational damage and regulatory compliance issues for affected organizations.
Security mitigations for CVE-2011-5209 should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The primary defense involves sanitizing all user input through proper encoding techniques such as HTML entity encoding before processing or displaying content. Organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution contexts and utilize web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws, and maps to attack techniques in the ATT&CK framework under TA0001 Initial Access and TA0002 Execution, specifically targeting web application exploitation methods. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar input validation weaknesses, and developers should follow secure coding practices that emphasize proper parameter validation and output encoding to prevent such vulnerabilities from occurring in future implementations.