CVE-2002-2321 in phpLinkat
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in (1) showcat.php and (2) addyoursite.php in phpLinkat 0.1.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the catid parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/28/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-2321 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting phpLinkat version 0.1.0, specifically impacting two key script files: showcat.php and addyoursite.php. This vulnerability exposes the application to remote code execution through malicious web script injection, creating significant security risks for users and administrators. The flaw manifests when the catid parameter is processed without proper input sanitization, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary HTML and JavaScript code directly into the web application's output.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation and sanitization of user-supplied input within the phpLinkat application framework. When the catid parameter is passed to either showcat.php or addyoursite.php, the application fails to properly encode or filter the input before rendering it in the web page context. This creates an environment where malicious actors can inject script tags, event handlers, or other HTML elements that execute in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability is classified as a classic reflected XSS attack vector, where the malicious payload is reflected back to the user through the application's response without proper sanitization.
The operational impact of CVE-2002-2321 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it provides attackers with the capability to establish persistent malicious sessions within affected environments. Once exploited, the vulnerability enables attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, redirect victims to malicious sites, or even install malware through browser-based attacks. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of phpLinkat's category display and site submission features, making it particularly dangerous as it targets commonly used application components. This type of vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security that has been consistently identified as one of the most prevalent vulnerabilities in web applications.
From an attacker perspective, this vulnerability operates under the MITRE ATT&CK framework's technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically targeting web-based scripting environments. The attack chain typically involves crafting malicious URLs with encoded script payloads, delivering them through social engineering or direct exploitation, and then executing malicious code in victim browsers. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical expertise, making it particularly dangerous for widespread abuse. Organizations using phpLinkat 0.1.0 are at significant risk of being compromised through this vulnerability, as it allows for complete browser-based compromise of user sessions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-2321 involve implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase. The primary remediation approach requires developers to sanitize all user-supplied input, particularly parameters like catid, using proper HTML entity encoding before rendering them in web pages. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against script injection attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and output encoding as fundamental security practices, aligning with security best practices established in OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity guidelines. Organizations should also consider implementing proper error handling and logging mechanisms to detect potential exploitation attempts, as well as conducting regular security audits of web applications to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components.