CVE-2003-0504 in phpGroupWare
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Phpgroupware 0.9.14.003 (aka webdistro) allow remote attackers to insert arbitrary HTML or web script, as demonstrated with a request to index.php in the addressbook module.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/24/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-0504 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in Phpgroupware version 0.9.14.003, commonly referred to as webdistro. This security weakness resides within the addressbook module of the application, specifically manifesting when users interact with the index.php endpoint. The flaw allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary HTML code or web scripts into the application's response, potentially compromising user sessions and data integrity.
This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is a pervasive issue in web applications where user-supplied input is inadequately sanitized before being rendered back to other users. The specific nature of this flaw demonstrates how insufficient input validation and output encoding can create persistent security risks within web-based collaborative platforms. The vulnerability affects the addressbook module, which is a core component of Phpgroupware's functionality, making it particularly dangerous as it could be exploited by attackers to compromise user data and potentially escalate privileges within the application.
The operational impact of CVE-2003-0504 extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to manipulate user interfaces, steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, or even execute unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users. When a user accesses the compromised index.php endpoint within the addressbook module, any malicious script injected by an attacker could be executed in the victim's browser context, potentially leading to complete session hijacking or data exfiltration. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on Phpgroupware for collaborative work environments where users frequently interact with addressbook functionality.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The recommended approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied data before processing or displaying it within the web interface, particularly within the addressbook module's index.php endpoint. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and prevent unauthorized code injection. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes the use of web shells and script injection techniques to gain initial access to systems. Additionally, this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of regular security patching and the implementation of web application firewalls to detect and prevent such attacks. Organizations should also conduct thorough security testing of web applications to identify similar input validation weaknesses that could be exploited by threat actors.