CVE-2002-2296 in YaBB
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in YaBB.pl in Yet Another Bulletin Board (YaBB) 1 Gold SP 1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the num parameter.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/28/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-2296 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the YaBB.pl script of Yet Another Bulletin Board version 1 Gold SP 1. This particular implementation of XSS allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the vulnerable application, creating a significant security risk for users interacting with the bulletin board system. The vulnerability specifically manifests through the num parameter, which serves as an entry point for attackers to execute their malicious payloads.
The technical nature of this flaw stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the YaBB.pl script. When the application processes the num parameter without proper sanitization, it fails to filter or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This omission creates an environment where attacker-controlled input can be executed within the context of other users' browsers, effectively bypassing the normal security boundaries that separate user sessions and data. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically representing a stored XSS variant where malicious scripts can persist and affect multiple users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables attackers to perform a range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and the redirection of users to malicious websites. Users who view affected pages containing the injected scripts become victims of the attack, with their browser sessions potentially compromised. The vulnerability affects the entire user base of the bulletin board system, as any content processed through the vulnerable num parameter could contain malicious code. This creates a persistent threat vector that remains active until the underlying code is patched or the vulnerable parameter is properly sanitized.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user-provided input, particularly parameters like num, by removing or escaping potentially dangerous characters such as angle brackets, quotes, and script tags. Additionally, developers should implement proper content security policies and utilize modern web application frameworks that automatically handle XSS protection. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and output encoding as fundamental security practices that align with the ATT&CK framework's mitigation recommendations for preventing code injection attacks. Organizations using YaBB or similar bulletin board systems should urgently apply patches or implement proper parameter sanitization to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability.