CVE-2004-0359 in Invision Board
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in index.php for Invision Power Board 1.3 final allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary script as other users via the (1) c, (2) f, (3) showtopic, (4) showuser, or (5) username parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/29/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-0359 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Invision Power Board version 1.3 final, specifically affecting the index.php script. This weakness enables remote attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, creating a persistent threat vector that can compromise user sessions and data integrity. The vulnerability manifests through five distinct parameter injection points including c, f, showtopic, showuser, and username, all of which process user input without adequate sanitization or validation mechanisms.
This XSS vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration classification of CWE-79, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of input during web page generation. The flaw exploits the fundamental principle that user-supplied data should never be directly incorporated into web page content without proper encoding or filtering. When an attacker crafts malicious input containing script tags or executable code and submits it through any of the affected parameters, the vulnerable application processes this input and reflects it back to other users without appropriate security measures. The attack can be executed through various methods including reflected XSS where the malicious payload is immediately reflected back to the user's browser, or stored XSS if the input is permanently stored and later executed.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can facilitate session hijacking, credential theft, and unauthorized access to user accounts. Attackers can leverage this weakness to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or inject malicious content that appears legitimate to victims. The affected parameters represent core navigation and user identification elements within the bulletin board system, making the attack surface particularly broad and potentially devastating for user privacy and system integrity. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to impersonate legitimate users and perform actions within the application as if they were authorized users, potentially leading to complete compromise of user accounts and sensitive data exposure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The implementation of proper parameter sanitization, including the use of HTML entity encoding for all user-supplied data before rendering, would prevent script execution in web contexts. Additionally, the application should employ Content Security Policy headers to restrict script execution and implement proper access controls for parameter handling. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which covers the use of web shells and malicious script injection for initial access. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future versions, with particular attention to the principle of least privilege in parameter handling and the enforcement of secure coding practices throughout the development lifecycle.