CVE-2004-2511 in DCP-Portal
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in DCP-Portal 5.3.2 and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) the year, (2) month, and (3) day parameters in calendar.php; (4) the cid and (5) url parameters in index.php; (6) the cid parameter in annoucement.php; (7) the cid parameter in news.php; (8) the cid parameter in contents.php; (9) the q parameter in search.php; and (10) the country parameter in register.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-2511 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness affecting DCP-Portal version 5.3.2 and earlier systems. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the web application's core components, specifically targeting several key php files that handle user input. The flaw allows remote attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, creating a persistent security risk that can be exploited across multiple application modules. The vulnerability affects the calendar functionality, content management features, search capabilities, and user registration processes, demonstrating a widespread lack of proper input filtering across the application's interface points.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through direct parameter manipulation within various php scripts, where user-supplied data flows directly into html output without adequate sanitization. The affected parameters include year, month, day, cid, url, q, and country fields, all of which are processed by the application without proper validation or encoding of special characters. This creates a pathway for attackers to embed malicious javascript code, html tags, or other harmful content that executes in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability specifically maps to CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as the improper handling of input data that is directly rendered in web pages without adequate sanitization. The attack vector is particularly dangerous as it requires no authentication and can be executed through simple url manipulation, making it highly exploitable across the entire application surface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user information, redirect users to malicious sites, or even execute administrative functions within the compromised application. The multi-module nature of the vulnerability means that a single attack could potentially compromise multiple application functions, from content management to user authentication systems. This weakness creates a persistent threat that can be leveraged for prolonged surveillance or data exfiltration activities. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes social engineering tactics involving the delivery of malicious content through web applications, potentially allowing attackers to establish a foothold within the target environment for further exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied input data before processing or rendering, using proper html entity encoding for output contexts, and implementing strict parameter validation for all web forms and query parameters. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts and establish proper input filtering mechanisms using regular expressions or established validation libraries. The remediation process should include comprehensive code review of all affected php files to ensure that no other similar vulnerabilities exist within the application's codebase, while also implementing proper access controls and monitoring mechanisms to detect potential exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify and address similar weaknesses in other application components that may present similar attack surfaces.