CVE-2002-0959 in Splatt
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting vulnerability in Splatt Forum 3.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary script as other users via an [img] tag with a closing quote followed by the script.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/10/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-0959 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Splatt Forum 3.0 software, demonstrating a fundamental weakness in input validation and output encoding mechanisms. This vulnerability resides in the forum's handling of user-generated content, specifically when processing [img] tags within posts. The flaw allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers, effectively enabling session hijacking, credential theft, and other malicious activities. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages the common [img] tag functionality, which users typically trust implicitly, making exploitation both subtle and effective.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of user input, particularly when processing image tags that contain script content. When an attacker crafts a malicious post containing an [img] tag with a closing quote followed by script code, the forum software fails to properly escape or validate the embedded content. This allows the script to execute when other users view the malicious post, as the browser interprets the injected code as legitimate content. The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is sent to a web browser without proper validation or encoding, allowing attackers to inject client-side scripts.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses severe risks to forum administrators and user communities. Attackers can exploit this flaw to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, deface forum content, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The impact extends beyond simple script execution, as compromised user sessions can lead to full account takeovers, data breaches, and potential lateral movement within network environments where forum users have access to sensitive systems. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of user communications, undermining trust in the forum platform and potentially exposing sensitive information shared within the community.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding mechanisms that properly sanitize all user-generated content, particularly HTML tags and attributes. The forum software should employ a whitelist-based approach for allowed HTML elements and attributes, rejecting any potentially dangerous constructs including embedded script tags. Security patches should enforce proper HTML escaping of user input before rendering, ensuring that special characters in [img] tag attributes are properly encoded. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script execution, while regular security audits and input validation testing should be conducted to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future releases. The remediation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering through malicious content, and addresses the broader category of web application security weaknesses that require comprehensive input validation and output encoding practices.