CVE-2003-0310 in eZ Publish
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in articleview.php for eZ publish 2.2 allows remote attackers to insert arbitrary web script.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/19/2025
The CVE-2003-0310 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw discovered in eZ publish version 2.2's articleview.php component. This vulnerability falls under the broader category of CWE-79 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, creating a persistent threat vector that can compromise user sessions and data integrity. The vulnerability specifically affects the article viewing functionality of the content management system, where user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being rendered in web pages.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding practices within the articleview.php script. When users navigate to articles within the eZ publish system, the application fails to adequately escape or filter user-controllable parameters that are subsequently displayed in HTML output. This allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that exploit the lack of proper sanitization mechanisms, particularly when article titles, content fields, or metadata contain unescaped special characters. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the presentation layer where user input directly influences HTML generation, making it a prime target for exploitation in web-based attack scenarios.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable sophisticated attack chains that compromise user security and system integrity. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, deface content management interfaces, or even execute more complex attacks such as credential harvesting. The vulnerability affects the entire eZ publish 2.2 ecosystem, potentially compromising all users who interact with articles through the affected component. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.008 Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell, as attackers can use the injected scripts to execute malicious commands within the user's browser context, and T1566.001 Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as the vulnerability can be exploited through maliciously crafted article content that users might legitimately access.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2003-0310 require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding measures. Organizations should implement comprehensive parameter sanitization that escapes special characters such as angle brackets, quotes, and script tags before rendering user content in web pages. The recommended approach involves applying context-specific encoding techniques, particularly HTML entity encoding for content displayed in web contexts. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide an additional layer of protection by restricting script execution and limiting the attack surface. The fix should also include updating to eZ publish version 3.0 or later, where this vulnerability has been addressed through improved input validation and output sanitization mechanisms. Security teams should conduct regular vulnerability assessments and implement automated scanning tools to detect similar XSS vulnerabilities in legacy systems, as this class of vulnerability remains prevalent in web applications due to the complexity of input/output handling across diverse web technologies.