CVE-2004-0032 in PHPGEDVIEW
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in search.php in PHPGEDVIEW 2.61 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTML and web script via the firstname parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/24/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-0032 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw in the PHPGEDVIEW genealogy software version 2.61. This security weakness resides within the search.php script where user input is not properly sanitized before being processed and displayed back to users. The specific parameter affected is the firstname field, which serves as an entry point for malicious actors to execute harmful code within the context of other users' browsers. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it a fundamental web application security issue.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious input containing HTML tags or JavaScript code within the firstname parameter of the search function. When the PHPGEDVIEW application processes this input without adequate validation or output encoding, the malicious code gets embedded into the web page response and subsequently executed in the browsers of unsuspecting users who view the search results. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious websites, all while appearing to originate from a legitimate source within the genealogy application's interface. This vulnerability operates at the intersection of web application security and user trust, as it exploits the application's failure to properly handle user-supplied data.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability are significant for organizations using PHPGEDVIEW 2.61, particularly those managing sensitive genealogical data where users may have varying levels of trust in the application's security. The attack vector is relatively simple to exploit, requiring only basic knowledge of web application vulnerabilities and the ability to craft malicious input strings. Users who access search results containing malicious code may unknowingly have their browser sessions compromised or their systems infected with additional malware through browser-based attacks. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the application's user interface and can potentially lead to broader security incidents if the application is used in enterprise or healthcare environments where data protection is critical. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment and T1059.007 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, demonstrating how this flaw can be leveraged as part of broader attack chains.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-0032 should focus on immediate input validation and output encoding measures. The most effective remediation involves implementing proper sanitization of all user input parameters before they are processed or displayed, particularly in the search.php script's handling of the firstname field. Organizations should employ context-specific output encoding techniques to ensure that any potentially malicious content is rendered harmless when displayed to users. The recommended approach includes implementing input validation that rejects or escapes special characters, particularly those used in HTML and JavaScript contexts. Additionally, the application should be upgraded to a patched version of PHPGEDVIEW that addresses this specific vulnerability. Security best practices dictate that all user-supplied data should be treated as untrusted and properly validated according to the principle of least privilege, ensuring that only expected and safe input is accepted by the application. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of regular security updates and proper code review processes to prevent similar issues in future application versions.