CVE-2005-1443 in IP.Board
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in index.php for Invision Power Board (IPB) 2.0.3 and 2.1 Alpha 2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) act, (2) Members, (3) calendar, or (4) HID parameters.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/01/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-1443 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Invision Power Board versions 2.0.3 and 2.1 Alpha 2, specifically affecting the index.php script. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security weaknesses. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content into the application's response, potentially compromising user sessions and data integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through four specific parameter vectors within the index.php script: act, Members, calendar, and HID parameters. These parameters are processed without adequate input validation or output encoding, creating opportunities for attackers to craft malicious payloads that execute in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input sanitization practices where user-supplied data flows directly into the application's output without proper security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and data manipulation. Users who visit compromised pages could unknowingly execute malicious code that steals cookies, redirects them to phishing sites, or modifies application behavior. The vulnerability affects the core application functionality and could potentially lead to complete system compromise if attackers leverage additional attack vectors or combine this flaw with other vulnerabilities.
Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigations including input validation for all user-supplied parameters, output encoding of dynamic content, and regular security updates to address known vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1566 for Phishing, highlighting the attack surface and potential exploitation techniques. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to prevent unauthorized script execution. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar flaws in other application components, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and output encoding practices in web application development.