Description
The web application does not filter user-controlled input for executable script disguised using doubling of the involved characters.
Potential Impact
Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability
Read Application Data, Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
Mitigations & Prevention
Resolve all filtered input to absolute or canonical representations before processing.
Carefully check each input parameter against a rigorous positive specification (allowlist) defining the specific characters and format allowed. All input should be neutralized, not just parameters that the user is supposed to specify, but all data in the request, including tag attributes, hidden fields, cookies, headers, the URL itself, and so forth. A common mistake that leads to continuing XSS vulnerabilities is to validate only fields that are expected to be redisplayed by the site. We often
Use and specify an output encoding that can be handled by the downstream component that is reading the output. Common encodings include ISO-8859-1, UTF-7, and UTF-8. When an encoding is not specified, a downstream component may choose a different encoding, either by assuming a default encoding or automatically inferring which encoding is being used, which can be erroneous. When the encodings are inconsistent, the downstream component might treat some character or byte sequences as special, even
With Struts, write all data from form beans with the bean's filter attribute set to true.
To help mitigate XSS attacks against the user's session cookie, set the session cookie to be HttpOnly. In browsers that support the HttpOnly feature (such as more recent versions of Internet Explorer and Firefox), this attribute can prevent the user's session cookie from being accessible to malicious client-side scripts that use document.cookie. This is not a complete solution, since HttpOnly is not supported by all browsers. More importantly, XmlHttpRequest and other powerful browser technologi
Real-World CVE Examples
| CVE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CVE-2002-2086 | XSS using "<script". |
| CVE-2000-0116 | Encoded "javascript" in IMG tag. |
| CVE-2001-1157 | Extra "<" in front of SCRIPT tag. |
Related Weaknesses
Taxonomy Mappings
- PLOVER: — DOUBLE - Doubled character XSS manipulations, e.g. "<script"
- Software Fault Patterns: SFP24 — Tainted input to command
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CWE-85?
CWE-85 (Doubled Character XSS Manipulations) is a software weakness identified by MITRE's Common Weakness Enumeration. It is classified as a Variant-level weakness. The web application does not filter user-controlled input for executable script disguised using doubling of the involved characters.
How can CWE-85 be exploited?
Attackers can exploit CWE-85 (Doubled Character XSS Manipulations) to read application data, execute unauthorized code or commands. This weakness is typically introduced during the Implementation phase of software development.
How do I prevent CWE-85?
Key mitigations include: Resolve all filtered input to absolute or canonical representations before processing.
What is the severity of CWE-85?
CWE-85 is classified as a Variant-level weakness (Low-Medium abstraction). It has been observed in 3 real-world CVEs.