Re: XSS vulnerabiilty testing and impact

["Robert E. Lee" <robert () outpost24 com>]

On Thu, 27 Jul 2006 09:33:50 +0800
"Rick Zhong" <sagiko () gmail com> wrote:
> My question is if the user inputs are not displayed to any other users
> ANYWHERE in the application, what's the impact of this XSS
> vulnerability? Or are we still consider this as an XSS vulnerability?
> Can malicious intruders still take advantage of this?

Yes, it is still considered XSS by many (most?).  It's usually only a real problem if the XSS is exploitable 
pre-authentication.  If it is a pre-auth XSS, an attacker can use a phishing scenario to collect valid login 
credentials.  This attack is greatly aided when the site also has SSL, as the user will be able to verify that they are 
indeed talking to https://www.theirrealbank.com... but the content of the page will be controlled by the attacker 
through the pre-auth XSS.

There are likely other bad scenarios, but that's the one I usually think of when I see it.

Robert

-- 
Robert E. Lee
Chief Security Officer
http://www.outpost24.com
 
phone: (949) 394-2033
fax  : +46-(0)455-13960
email: robert () outpost24 com

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