CVE-2004-2180 in Web Forum
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in WowBB Forum 1.61 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) country parameter to view_user.php, (2) show parameter to view_forum.php, (3) letter parameter to view_user.php, (4) highlight parameter to view_topic.php, (5) show parameter to index.php, (6) q parameter to search.php, (7) Referer header to admin.php, or the (8) user_email parameter to login.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/05/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-2180 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting WowBB Forum version 1.61, a widely deployed web-based discussion platform. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the forum's core scripts, creating multiple attack vectors that enable remote malicious actors to inject arbitrary HTML and JavaScript code into the application's response. The affected parameters span across several key forum pages including user profile viewing, forum navigation, topic display, search functionality, and administrative interfaces, demonstrating a systemic weakness in the application's security architecture. According to CWE-79, this vulnerability directly maps to Cross-Site Scripting flaws that occur when untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding, making it a classic example of insecure data handling in web applications.
The technical exploitation of these vulnerabilities occurs through the manipulation of HTTP parameters and headers that are processed by the forum's PHP scripts. Attackers can craft malicious URLs or HTTP requests containing script code within the vulnerable parameters such as country, show, letter, highlight, q, and user_email, which are then executed in the context of other users' browsers when they access the affected pages. The Referer header vulnerability in admin.php is particularly concerning as it demonstrates improper handling of HTTP headers that could be leveraged to bypass certain security controls or inject malicious code into administrative interfaces. These flaws create persistent attack surfaces where malicious scripts can execute with the privileges and context of authenticated users, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or complete system compromise. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, as attackers can leverage these vectors to execute JavaScript code within victim browsers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking attacks by stealing cookies and session tokens, particularly when the forum is used by administrators or privileged users. The multi-vector nature of the attack surface means that even a single vulnerable parameter can provide attackers with multiple opportunities to establish persistent access to the forum environment. Users who view compromised pages could have their browser sessions compromised, potentially allowing attackers to post malicious content, modify forum settings, or access private user data. The vulnerability's presence in login.php through the user_email parameter represents a particularly dangerous attack vector as it could be exploited during user authentication processes, potentially capturing login credentials or redirecting users to malicious sites. Organizations using WowBB Forum 1.61 would face significant security risks including potential data breaches, reputation damage, and unauthorized access to user communications and personal information.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-2180 require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase. All user-supplied input parameters must be validated against expected formats and sanitized before being incorporated into HTML output or database storage. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth protection against script execution, while proper parameter encoding using functions such as htmlspecialchars in PHP can prevent malicious scripts from executing in the browser context. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious parameter values, and conduct thorough security code reviews to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. According to industry best practices and security frameworks, this vulnerability should be addressed through comprehensive input sanitization, output encoding, and proper security configuration of the web application. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to prevent similar issues from emerging in future versions of the forum software, as these types of vulnerabilities remain prevalent in legacy web applications. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of keeping web applications updated with the latest security patches and implementing secure coding practices from the development phase to prevent such issues from occurring in the first place.