CVE-2004-1985 in Photo Gallery
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in menu.inc.php in Coppermine Photo Gallery 1.2.2b allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTML or web script via the CPG_URL parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/19/2025
The CVE-2004-1985 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw in the Coppermine Photo Gallery 1.2.2b web application. This vulnerability specifically targets the menu.inc.php file, which serves as a critical component for rendering navigation menus within the photo gallery interface. The flaw arises from inadequate input validation and sanitization of user-supplied parameters, particularly the CPG_URL parameter that is used to construct dynamic menu links. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious URLs containing embedded HTML or JavaScript code that gets executed in the context of other users' browsers when they navigate to affected pages.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting as a code injection flaw where untrusted data is directly incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding. This particular implementation vulnerability demonstrates how web applications fail to sanitize user input before incorporating it into dynamic content generation processes. The CPG_URL parameter likely gets processed through a sprintf or similar string formatting function without appropriate HTML escaping or sanitization, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads that persist in the application's output. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK technique T1190, which describes the exploitation of vulnerabilities in web applications through the injection of malicious code into web pages viewed by other users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary code within users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. Users visiting compromised gallery pages could unknowingly execute malicious scripts that compromise their browser sessions or redirect them to phishing sites. The vulnerability affects the entire Coppermine Photo Gallery 1.2.2b user base, as any user who navigates to a page containing the vulnerable menu component could be exposed to the attack vector. The exploitation requires minimal technical skill, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by automated tools or less sophisticated attackers to compromise multiple users simultaneously.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-1985 should focus on immediate input validation and output encoding measures. The primary fix involves implementing proper sanitization of the CPG_URL parameter before it is processed and displayed in menu components, ensuring that any HTML or JavaScript characters are properly escaped or removed. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of inline scripts and restrict the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Additionally, the vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security audits and patch management processes, as the Coppermine Photo Gallery 1.2.2b version was vulnerable to this attack due to the lack of proper input validation mechanisms that modern web applications should implement. The fix should also include comprehensive testing of all user-supplied inputs and ensuring that the application follows secure coding practices as outlined in OWASP Top 10 and similar security frameworks to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in future versions.