CVE-2004-1779 in Thwboard Beta
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in board.php for ThWboard before beta 2.84 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the lastvisited parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/16/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1779 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw in the ThWboard bulletin board software prior to beta version 2.84. This security weakness resides in the board.php script and specifically affects how the application handles the lastvisited parameter. The vulnerability classifies under CWE-79 which denotes improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it a direct descendant of the well-known OWASP Top Ten category of injection flaws. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious web script or HTML content that gets injected into the lastvisited parameter, which is then executed in the context of other users' browsers when they access the affected board.php script.
The technical exploitation of this XSS vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the lastvisited parameter within the board.php application. When users navigate through the bulletin board system, the application stores their last visited board information in this parameter. The flaw arises because the application fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied input before incorporating it into dynamic web page content. This allows malicious actors to inject JavaScript code, HTML tags, or other malicious payloads that execute in the browser context of unsuspecting users. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the application layer where user interactions are processed, making it an ideal vector for session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious websites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption or display issues. When exploited successfully, the XSS flaw can enable attackers to perform session manipulation attacks, steal cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or even execute arbitrary commands on victim machines. The attack surface is broad as it affects all users of the ThWboard software who interact with the board.php script, particularly those who visit boards that may have been compromised. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes social engineering attacks involving the manipulation of web content to compromise user systems. The risk is heightened because the vulnerability can be exploited silently without requiring authentication or special privileges from the attacker, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where users trust the bulletin board content.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-1779 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The primary defense involves sanitizing all user-provided input, particularly parameters like lastvisited, before incorporating them into web page output. This approach follows the principle of least privilege and input sanitization practices recommended by both CWE guidelines and industry standards. Organizations should also implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the sources from which scripts can be executed, providing an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks. The most effective long-term solution requires upgrading to ThWboard version 2.84 or later, where the vulnerability has been patched through proper parameter handling and input validation. Additionally, regular security audits and web application firewalls should be deployed to detect and prevent such injection attempts, while user education about suspicious content can help reduce successful exploitation rates in environments where immediate patching may not be possible.