CVE-2005-0628 in Forumwa
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Forumwa 1.0 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) the keyword parameter in search.php or the (2) body or (3) subject of a forum message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/06/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0628 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness affecting Forumwa 1.0, a web-based discussion platform that was prevalent during the early 2000s. This vulnerability manifests through three distinct attack vectors that collectively undermine the application's security posture by allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the platform's user interface. The flaw specifically targets the application's input validation mechanisms, creating persistent security risks for all users interacting with the forum system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied input across multiple parameters within the Forumwa 1.0 application. Attackers can exploit the first vector by manipulating the keyword parameter in search.php, where unfiltered user input is directly incorporated into the page output without proper encoding or validation. The second and third vectors target the body and subject fields of forum messages respectively, demonstrating that the application's security controls are insufficiently applied across all user input points. This widespread nature of the vulnerability indicates a systemic failure in the application's data sanitization protocols and highlights the absence of comprehensive input validation measures.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-0628 extends beyond simple data corruption, as successful exploitation can lead to complete session hijacking, credential theft, and unauthorized access to user accounts. When malicious scripts execute within a user's browser context, attackers can manipulate the forum interface to steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or inject malicious content that propagates to other forum participants. This creates a chain reaction effect where compromised users become unwitting carriers of the attack, potentially affecting thousands of forum members depending on the platform's user base size. The vulnerability essentially transforms the legitimate forum functionality into a vector for malicious activity and unauthorized data access.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and maps directly to attack techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1531 for "Credential Access" and T1566 for "Phishing". The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical skill and provides maximum impact, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on legacy forum platforms. Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including comprehensive input validation, output encoding, and the implementation of Content Security Policies. Additionally, the platform should undergo thorough security auditing to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in other input handling mechanisms, as the presence of one XSS vulnerability often indicates broader security gaps in the application architecture.