CVE-2005-1023 in PHP-Nuke
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in PHP-Nuke 6.x to 7.6 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) min parameter to the Search module, (2) the categories parameter to the FAQ module, or (3) the ltr parameter to the Encyclopedia module. NOTE: the bid parameter issue in banners.php is already an item in CVE-2005-1000.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/12/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-1023 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting PHP-Nuke versions 6.x through 7.6, exposing web applications to persistent malicious code injection attacks. This vulnerability manifests across three distinct modules within the PHP-Nuke framework, each presenting unique attack vectors that collectively undermine the security posture of affected systems. The presence of XSS vulnerabilities in these core modules demonstrates a fundamental failure in input validation and output sanitization mechanisms, creating persistent entry points for malicious actors seeking to compromise user sessions and execute unauthorized code within victim browsers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through three specific parameters that fail to properly validate or sanitize user input before rendering in web responses. The min parameter in the Search module accepts unfiltered input that can be manipulated to inject malicious scripts during search operations, while the categories parameter in the FAQ module lacks proper input sanitization, allowing attackers to inject harmful content through category selection. The ltr parameter in the Encyclopedia module presents another vector where unvalidated input can be exploited to execute malicious code during encyclopedia content rendering. These flaws directly correlate to CWE-79, which defines Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities as the injection of malicious code into web applications, and align with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter usage through web-based attacks.
The operational impact of these vulnerabilities extends beyond simple script injection, as they enable attackers to perform session hijacking, deface web content, steal sensitive user information, and potentially escalate privileges within the affected systems. Users interacting with compromised PHP-Nuke installations become vulnerable to persistent XSS attacks where malicious scripts execute in their browsers, potentially stealing cookies, redirecting traffic, or modifying content in real-time. The widespread adoption of PHP-Nuke in web applications during this era meant that exploitation of these vulnerabilities could affect numerous websites simultaneously, creating a significant risk for organizations relying on this content management system.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-1023 require immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding measures across all affected modules. Organizations must ensure that all user-supplied parameters undergo strict validation before processing, with proper HTML entity encoding applied to prevent script execution in web responses. The recommended approach includes implementing whitelisting mechanisms for acceptable input values, utilizing proper parameter sanitization techniques, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. Additionally, system administrators should prioritize updating to patched versions of PHP-Nuke, as the vulnerabilities described in CVE-2005-1023 were addressed in subsequent releases that incorporated proper input validation controls. The remediation process must also include comprehensive security testing of all web applications to identify similar vulnerabilities in other modules or components that may present analogous attack vectors.