CVE-2004-0265 in PHP-Nuke
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in modules.php for Php-Nuke 6.x-7.1.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary script as other users via URL-encoded (1) title or (2) fname parameters in the News or Reviews modules.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/05/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-0265 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Php-Nuke versions 6.x through 7.1.0. This security weakness resides within the modules.php file and specifically targets the News and Reviews modules of the content management system. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization of user-supplied data, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of other users' browsers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through URL-encoded parameters named title and fname within the News and Reviews modules. When users navigate to maliciously crafted URLs containing these parameters, the vulnerable application fails to properly sanitize the input before rendering it in web pages. This allows attackers to embed malicious scripts that execute automatically when other users view the affected content. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it enables attackers to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, or perform unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users.
From an operational perspective, this XSS vulnerability poses significant risks to Php-Nuke installations as it can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication or special privileges. The impact extends beyond simple script execution to potentially compromise entire user sessions and enable more sophisticated attacks such as session hijacking or credential theft. The vulnerability affects a wide range of versions within the 6.x to 7.1.0 release cycle, indicating it was a persistent flaw that required multiple patch releases to address properly. Organizations using these versions faced potential data breaches, unauthorized access to user accounts, and possible system compromise through the execution of malicious payloads.
Security practitioners should implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability effectively. Input validation and output encoding should be strengthened throughout the application to prevent malicious data from being processed or displayed. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by ensuring that user inputs are properly sanitized before being incorporated into dynamic web content. Additionally, implementing proper content security policies and using web application firewalls can provide additional protection against such attacks. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a classic example of how insufficient input validation can lead to severe security consequences. The attack pattern corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers can leverage the vulnerability to execute arbitrary code within user browsers, potentially leading to broader system compromise through subsequent attack vectors.