CVE-2004-0737 in PHP-Nuke
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in index.php in the Search module for Php-Nuke allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) sid, (2) max, (3) sel1, (4) sel2, (5) sel3, (6) sel4, (7) sel5, (8) match, (9) mod1, (10) mod2, or (11) mod3 parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/25/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-0737 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness within the Search module of Php-Nuke version 7.9 and earlier. This flaw exists in the index.php file that processes search functionality, making it susceptible to malicious injection attacks that can compromise user sessions and execute unauthorized code within the browser context of affected systems. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or filter user-supplied parameters before they are rendered in web responses.
Multiple parameter vectors within the search functionality provide attack surfaces for malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content. The vulnerable parameters include sid, max, sel1 through sel5, match, mod1 through mod3, each representing different aspects of the search query processing. These parameters are directly incorporated into the application's output without proper sanitization, creating opportunities for attackers to craft malicious payloads that can execute in the context of other users who view the affected search results. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables attackers to potentially hijack user sessions, redirect users to malicious sites, or extract sensitive information from authenticated sessions. When users perform searches within the vulnerable Php-Nuke application, any malicious code injected through these parameters executes in the browser context of other users who view the results. This creates a persistent threat vector that can affect multiple users over time, particularly in environments where search functionality is frequently used and shared. The attack requires minimal privileges and can be executed through standard web browser interactions, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Php-Nuke installations may be widely deployed.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all user-supplied parameters. Organizations should immediately apply the vendor-provided security patches or upgrade to Php-Nuke versions that address this vulnerability. Additionally, implementing proper parameter sanitization through the use of allowlists for valid input values, implementing Content Security Policy headers, and deploying web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection. Security teams should also consider implementing automated scanning tools to identify similar vulnerabilities in other web applications and establish secure coding practices that prevent such issues from occurring in future development cycles. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and output encoding as fundamental security controls in web application development and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers the exploitation of web application vulnerabilities for initial access and privilege escalation.