CVE-2004-1879 in PHPKIT
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in PHPKIT 1.6.03 allows allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via forum messages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1879 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within PHPKIT version 1.6.03, a web-based content management system that was widely used for creating and managing online forums and websites during the early 2000s. This vulnerability resides in the forum message handling functionality where user input is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to other users. The flaw allows remote attackers to inject malicious scripts or HTML code through forum messages, creating a persistent threat vector that can compromise user sessions and data integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the PHPKIT application. When users submit messages to forums, the system fails to properly escape or filter special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This weakness directly maps to CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities arising from insufficient sanitization of user-supplied data. The vulnerability occurs at the application layer where user-generated content is processed without proper security controls to prevent malicious code execution in the context of other users' browsers.
The operational impact of CVE-2004-1879 extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary code within the browser context of vulnerable users. Attackers can craft malicious forum posts containing JavaScript payloads that could steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes social engineering attacks through malicious web content, and T1059 which covers command and scripting interpreter usage in web applications. The attack surface is particularly dangerous in forum environments where users trust content from other community members, making the exploitation more likely to succeed.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. The most effective immediate solution involves implementing proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application, ensuring that all user-supplied content is properly escaped before being rendered to other users. Organizations should apply the official patch released by PHPKIT developers or migrate to more secure forum solutions that properly handle user input validation. Additionally, implementing content security policies and regular security audits of web applications can prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in the future, as outlined in OWASP Top 10 security guidelines for web application security.