CVE-2005-0307 in MercuryBoard
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in index.php in MercuryBoard 1.1.1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) s, (2) l, (3) a, (4) t, (5) to, or (6) re parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/17/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0307 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in MercuryBoard version 1.1.1, a web-based bulletin board system that was widely used for online community forums. This vulnerability resides within the index.php file and affects multiple parameter inputs that are processed without proper sanitization or validation. The affected parameters include s, l, a, t, to, and re, which are commonly used for various forum operations such as sorting, filtering, linking, and messaging functions. The presence of these vulnerable parameters creates multiple attack vectors that can be exploited by malicious actors to inject malicious code into the web application's response.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. This weakness occurs when user-supplied data is directly incorporated into web pages without proper input validation or output encoding. The vulnerability is classified as a reflected XSS attack since the malicious script is reflected off the web server and executed in the victim's browser when they access a specially crafted URL containing the malicious payload. The attack requires no authentication and can be executed by any user who visits the maliciously crafted link, making it particularly dangerous in community forum environments where users frequently click on links shared by others.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant within the context of web application security and user data protection. Attackers can exploit these XSS vulnerabilities to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, redirection to malicious websites, and defacement of forum content. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that can compromise user sessions and potentially allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to user accounts. Given that MercuryBoard was designed for community interaction, the attack surface is expanded as users may unknowingly click on malicious links shared within forum threads, leading to widespread compromise of user data and forum integrity.
The exploitation of this vulnerability follows established patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the technique of web application attacks, specifically focusing on client-side code injection. The attack chain typically involves crafting malicious URLs with encoded script payloads in the vulnerable parameters, which are then delivered to unsuspecting users through social engineering tactics, forum posts, or other communication channels. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond individual user compromise to potentially affect the entire forum community, as successful exploitation can lead to data breaches, service disruption, and damage to the forum's reputation. Organizations using vulnerable versions of MercuryBoard should implement immediate mitigation strategies including input validation, output encoding, and security updates to prevent exploitation.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input sanitization and output encoding in web application development. The flaw underscores the necessity of implementing comprehensive security measures such as the OWASP Top Ten protections, particularly focusing on input validation and output encoding techniques. Security practitioners should prioritize regular vulnerability assessments and maintain up-to-date security patches for all web applications. The vulnerability also highlights the need for security awareness training for forum administrators and users to recognize and avoid potentially malicious links, as well as the implementation of web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional layers of protection against similar attacks.