CVE-2004-2085 in phpCodeCabinet
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Brad Fears phpCodeCabinet 0.4 and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via multiple parameters, including (1) the sid parameter to comments.php, (2) the cid, cf, or rfd parameters to category.php, or the cid parameter to (3) input.php, (4) browse.php, (5) themes/facade/header.php, or (6) themes/phpcc/header.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/17/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-2085 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting phpCodeCabinet version 0.4 and earlier. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within multiple script files, creating persistent entry points for malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content. The affected application fails to properly filter user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamic web pages, thereby enabling attackers to execute malicious code within the context of other users' browsers. This type of vulnerability directly violates fundamental web security principles and creates a significant risk for any user interacting with the vulnerable application.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through multiple attack vectors that target different script files within the phpCodeCabinet application. Specifically the sid parameter in comments.php serves as an injection point where unfiltered input can be exploited to execute malicious scripts. Additionally, category.php contains three distinct parameters - cid, cf, and rfd - that all present similar vulnerabilities allowing attackers to inject malicious content. The input.php script also exposes the cid parameter as another potential attack surface, while browse.php, themes/facade/header.php, and themes/phpcc/header.php each provide additional pathways for XSS exploitation. These multiple entry points demonstrate a systemic flaw in the application's security architecture where input sanitization mechanisms are inconsistently applied across different components.
The operational impact of CVE-2004-2085 extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and redirection to malicious sites. When users interact with compromised pages, their browsers execute the injected scripts, which can capture cookies, submit data to attacker-controlled servers, or modify page content to deceive users. The vulnerability affects the entire user base since any individual who views pages containing malicious content becomes a potential victim of the attack. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where the application handles sensitive information or where users may have elevated privileges within the system. The widespread nature of the affected files indicates that the vulnerability is not isolated to a single component but represents a fundamental security weakness throughout the application's architecture.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all affected script files. The primary defense involves implementing strict sanitization of all user-supplied parameters before they are processed or displayed in web pages. This includes employing proper HTML entity encoding for all dynamic content and implementing Content Security Policy headers to prevent unauthorized script execution. Organizations should also consider implementing input validation frameworks that automatically sanitize potentially dangerous characters and patterns from user inputs. The remediation process must address each of the six identified vulnerable files through comprehensive code review and security patching. Additionally, regular security testing including automated scanning and manual penetration testing should be implemented to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the application. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a clear violation of ATT&CK technique T1059.002 related to command and scripting interpreters. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of consistent security practices throughout application development and the necessity of implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against injection-based attacks.