CVE-2004-1999 in PHP-Nuke
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Downloads module in Php-Nuke 6.x through 7.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTML and web script via the (1) ttitle or (2) sid parameters to modules.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/18/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-1999 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Downloads module of Php-Nuke versions 6.x through 7.2. This security weakness resides in the web application's handling of user input parameters, specifically the ttitle and sid parameters processed through the modules.php script. The vulnerability classifies under CWE-79 which defines improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it a classic example of client-side code injection that can compromise user sessions and data integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the application fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages. When attackers submit malicious payloads through the ttitle or sid parameters, the Php-Nuke application directly embeds this unvalidated input into HTML output without appropriate encoding or filtering mechanisms. This allows attackers to inject arbitrary HTML tags, JavaScript code, or other malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers who visit affected pages. The vulnerability exists because the application does not implement proper input validation or output encoding controls that would prevent malicious code from being interpreted as legitimate content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform a range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, redirection to malicious sites, and data exfiltration. Users who browse pages containing the injected scripts may unknowingly have their browser sessions compromised, potentially leading to unauthorized access to administrative functions or personal information. The vulnerability affects the entire Php-Nuke user base within the affected version ranges, making it particularly dangerous as it could impact any website utilizing the Downloads module. Attackers can leverage this flaw to create persistent threats that remain active until the vulnerable application is patched or the malicious content is manually removed from the affected pages.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-1999 should focus on immediate patching of affected Php-Nuke installations to version 7.3 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should also implement input validation mechanisms that sanitize all user-supplied data before processing, particularly for parameters that are directly embedded into web page output. The implementation of output encoding techniques, such as HTML entity encoding for user-provided content, can prevent script execution even if input validation is bypassed. Security measures should include regular vulnerability scanning of web applications, implementation of web application firewalls, and adherence to secure coding practices that follow the principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and MITRE ATT&CK framework for web application security. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security assessments and maintain updated threat intelligence to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities across their web application infrastructure.