CVE-2003-1467 in Phorum
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in (1) login.php, (2) register.php, (3) post.php, and (4) common.php in Phorum before 3.4.3 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unknown attack vectors.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/13/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-1467 represents a critical security flaw in the Phorum web forum software affecting versions prior to 3.4.3. This issue manifests as multiple cross-site scripting vulnerabilities across four key PHP files including login.php, register.php, post.php, and common.php. The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to exploit web application security weaknesses. These vulnerabilities enable remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML code into the affected pages, potentially compromising user sessions and data integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the Phorum application's core files. Attackers can leverage these weaknesses through unspecified attack vectors to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers. The impact extends across multiple application functions since the vulnerable files handle authentication, user registration, posting, and common forum operations. This widespread exposure means that any user interacting with these components could become a victim of the injected malicious code. The vulnerability demonstrates poor secure coding practices where user-supplied data flows directly into HTML output without proper sanitization or encoding mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2003-1467 is significant as it allows attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and data manipulation. Users who visit compromised pages may unknowingly execute malicious scripts that can steal cookies, redirect them to phishing sites, or inject additional malicious code into the forum environment. The vulnerability affects the fundamental security model of the forum system since it undermines the trust boundaries between users and the application. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1566 which involves social engineering through malicious web content, and T1071 which covers application layer protocols including web-based attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of the Phorum software to version 3.4.3 or later where these XSS vulnerabilities have been addressed. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all user-facing application components. The solution should include implementing proper HTML escaping for all dynamic content and establishing robust sanitization routines for user inputs. Security measures should also incorporate content security policies to prevent unauthorized script execution and regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring systems to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The remediation process must include thorough testing of the patched application to ensure no regressions were introduced while maintaining full functionality of the forum system.