CVE-2003-0770 in Ikonboard
Summary
by MITRE
FUNC.pm in IkonBoard 3.1.2a and earlier, including 3.1.1, does not properly cleanse the "lang" cookie when it contains illegal characters, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code when the cookie is inserted into a Perl "eval" statement.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/24/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2003-0770 represents a critical code injection flaw within the IkonBoard 3.1.2a and earlier versions of the web-based bulletin board software. This issue specifically affects the FUNC.pm module which handles language selection functionality through cookie parameters. The vulnerability arises from inadequate input validation and sanitization of the "lang" cookie value, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary Perl code on the affected system. The flaw exists because the application fails to properly cleanse user-supplied input before incorporating it into a Perl eval statement, which is a dangerous practice that directly enables code execution.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the improper handling of user-controlled data within the application's language selection mechanism. When users interact with the bulletin board system, they may set a "lang" cookie value to specify their preferred language interface. However, the IkonBoard software does not adequately validate or sanitize this cookie value before using it in a Perl eval function. This creates a classic command injection vulnerability where attacker-controlled data flows directly into executable code without proper sanitization. The CWE-74 standard categorizes this as "Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component" and specifically relates to CWE-94 which covers "Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')". The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication or privileged access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and potentially catastrophic for affected systems. Remote attackers can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the web server process, which typically runs with elevated permissions on the hosting system. This allows for complete system compromise including data theft, system modification, or the installation of persistent backdoors. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the bulletin board system and can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to sensitive user data, forum contents, and potentially the entire underlying server infrastructure. Attackers can use this vulnerability to establish a foothold for further lateral movement within network environments where the vulnerable system resides. The exploitability of this vulnerability is high due to the remote nature of the attack vector and the lack of authentication requirements.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2003-0770 should focus on immediate patching of the vulnerable IkonBoard versions to address the input validation flaw in FUNC.pm. Organizations should implement proper input sanitization and validation for all user-supplied data, particularly cookie values that are later processed by the application. The recommended approach involves implementing strict validation of language parameters to ensure they conform to expected character sets and lengths before being processed. Additionally, the use of safe string handling functions instead of eval statements for dynamic code execution should be enforced throughout the application. Security controls including web application firewalls and input filtering mechanisms should be deployed to detect and prevent malicious cookie values from reaching the vulnerable code paths. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: Perl" and T1068 for "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" due to the potential for privilege escalation through code execution. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation.