CVE-2003-1241 in MyGuestbook
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting vulnerability (XSS) in (1) admin_index.php, (2) admin_pass.php, (3) admin_modif.php, and (4) admin_suppr.php in MyGuestbook 3.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code by modifying the location parameter to reference a URL on a remote web server that contains file.php via script injected into the pseudo, email, and message parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/16/2018
This cross-site scripting vulnerability exists in MyGuestbook 3.0 within four administrative scripts including admin_index php admin_pass php admin_modif php and admin_suppr php. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before rendering it in web responses. Attackers can exploit this weakness by manipulating the location parameter to point to a remote web server hosting malicious file php content. The vulnerability specifically targets pseudo email and message parameters where script injection can occur, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary php code on the target system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which describes cross-site scripting flaws where web applications fail to properly validate or sanitize user input before including it in dynamically generated web pages. The attack vector involves crafting malicious payloads within the vulnerable parameters that get executed when the administrative pages are rendered, effectively bypassing normal security controls. This type of vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that enables attackers to perform unauthorized actions with the privileges of the affected user.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution to potentially allow full administrative compromise of the guestbook system. Attackers can leverage this weakness to inject persistent malicious code that executes whenever the administrative interface is accessed, enabling them to modify guestbook entries delete content or even establish backdoor access. The remote code execution capability means that attackers can manipulate the entire guestbook database and potentially use the compromised system as a platform for further attacks against other systems within the network. This vulnerability directly maps to attack techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under TA0001 Initial Access and TA0003 Persistence categories.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. All user-supplied data must be properly sanitized using whitelisting approaches or appropriate HTML entity encoding before being rendered in web responses. The application should implement strict parameter validation for all inputs including the location parameter and ensure that any URL references are properly validated against a known safe list of domains. Additionally implementing proper content security policies and using modern web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection against such injection attacks. Regular security code reviews and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components and ensure that input handling mechanisms are robust against various injection attack patterns.