CVE-2005-1172 in Coppermine Photo Gallery
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in init.inc.php in Coppermine Photo Gallery 1.3.x allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the X-Forwarded-For parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2019
The CVE-2005-1172 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Coppermine Photo Gallery 1.3.x series that exposes web applications to remote code execution through malicious script injection. This vulnerability specifically targets the init.inc.php file, which serves as a foundational initialization script for the photo gallery application. The flaw manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize user input received through the X-Forwarded-For HTTP header, a standard header used by proxy servers to identify the original IP address of a client connecting to a web server through an HTTP proxy or load balancer.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and output encoding practices within the Coppermine Photo Gallery codebase. When the application processes the X-Forwarded-For parameter without adequate sanitization, it allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary HTML and JavaScript code into the application's response. This occurs because the application directly incorporates user-supplied data from the HTTP header into dynamically generated web pages without proper context-aware encoding or filtering mechanisms. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because the X-Forwarded-For header is commonly used in web infrastructure and often bypasses standard security controls that might otherwise detect malicious input.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations deploying Coppermine Photo Gallery 1.3.x systems, as it enables attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of authenticated user sessions. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to include session hijacking, defacement of gallery content, and potential lateral movement within network environments where the vulnerable application resides. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that, when executed, can steal user credentials, modify gallery configurations, or redirect users to phishing sites. The vulnerability's remote nature means that exploitation can occur from any location without requiring physical access to the server or network infrastructure, making it particularly attractive to cybercriminals seeking scalable attack vectors.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a classic example of CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as it provides an attack surface for delivering malicious content through web-based vectors. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding controls, proper header sanitization, and application-level security hardening. The most effective remediation involves updating to a patched version of Coppermine Photo Gallery, as the vulnerability was addressed in subsequent releases through proper input validation mechanisms and enhanced security controls. Additionally, network-level protections such as web application firewalls and security monitoring should be deployed to detect and prevent exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability pattern.