CVE-2012-1779 in idev-BusinessDirectory
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IDevSpot idev-BusinessDirectory 3.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the SEARCH parameter to index.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/15/2019
The CVE-2012-1779 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the IDevSpot idev-BusinessDirectory version 3.0 web application. This vulnerability specifically affects the application's handling of user input through the SEARCH parameter in the index.php file, creating a significant security risk for web applications that utilize this directory system. The flaw enables malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's response, potentially compromising user sessions and data integrity.
This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a weakness in web applications that fail to properly validate or sanitize user input before incorporating it into dynamic web content. The technical implementation flaw occurs when the application directly incorporates user-supplied data from the SEARCH parameter without adequate sanitization or output encoding mechanisms. The vulnerability exists because the application does not properly escape or filter special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code by web browsers, creating an environment where malicious payloads can be executed in the context of other users' sessions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it can enable sophisticated attack vectors including session hijacking, credential theft, and the execution of malicious code within user browsers. Attackers can craft specially formatted search queries that, when processed by the vulnerable application, will execute malicious scripts in the browsers of other users who view the search results. This creates a persistent threat where a single compromised input can affect multiple users over time, potentially leading to widespread compromise of user accounts and sensitive business data within the directory system. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the application layer, making it difficult to detect through traditional network-based security measures.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-1779 should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase. The primary defense involves sanitizing all user input parameters, particularly those used in dynamic content generation, by implementing proper HTML entity encoding and input validation routines. Organizations should implement a comprehensive security patch management program to ensure that all web applications are updated with the latest security fixes from vendors. Additionally, implementing content security policies and using web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and conducting regular security code reviews to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in web applications. This case demonstrates the critical need for organizations to maintain up-to-date security practices and to implement defense-in-depth strategies that protect against various attack vectors including those identified in the ATT&CK framework's web application exploitation categories.