CVE-2005-2004 in Ultimate PHP Board
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in Ultimate PHP Board (UPB) 1.9.6 GOLD and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) ref parameter to login.php, (2) id or (3) page parameter to viewtopic.php, id parameter to (4) profile.php, (5) newpost.php, (6) email.php, (7) icq.php, or (8) aol.php, (9) t_id parameter to newpost.php, (10) ref parameter to getpass.php, or (11) sText parameter to search.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/08/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-2004 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Ultimate PHP Board version 1.9.6 GOLD and earlier releases. This vulnerability resides within the input validation mechanisms of multiple script files that handle user-supplied data without proper sanitization or encoding. The affected parameters span across various board functions including authentication, topic viewing, user profiles, messaging, and search operations, indicating a systemic weakness in the application's security architecture. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')" which directly relates to the failure to properly encode or escape user-controllable data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the injection of malicious script code via HTTP parameters that are processed by the vulnerable PHP scripts. Attackers can leverage this flaw by crafting specially formatted URLs containing malicious JavaScript code within the affected parameters such as ref, id, page, t_id, or sText. When other users navigate to these crafted URLs or view pages containing the injected content, the malicious scripts execute in the context of the victim's browser session. This cross-site scripting vulnerability operates at the client-side level, allowing attackers to potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no privileged access or authentication, making it an attractive target for malicious actors seeking to compromise user sessions or deface web forums.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it creates persistent security risks for all users of the affected forum software. The widespread nature of the vulnerability across multiple script files indicates that attackers can target various aspects of the forum functionality, from user authentication to content creation and search operations. This broad attack surface increases the likelihood of successful exploitation and makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous for forum administrators who may not immediately recognize the scope of the issue. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to establish persistent malicious presence within the forum environment, potentially enabling them to manipulate content, steal user credentials, or use the forum as a launching point for further attacks against other systems within the network.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-2004 should focus on immediate remediation through software updates and comprehensive input validation implementation. The most effective immediate solution involves upgrading to a patched version of Ultimate PHP Board that addresses these cross-site scripting vulnerabilities. Organizations should also implement proper output encoding techniques throughout the application to ensure that any user-supplied data is properly escaped before being rendered in web pages. Input validation should be enforced at multiple layers including parameter validation, data type checking, and length restrictions to prevent malicious payloads from being processed. Security headers such as Content Security Policy should be implemented to add an additional layer of protection against script injection attacks. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and code reviews to identify similar issues in legacy applications, as reflected in ATT&CK technique T1590 for reconnaissance and T1190 for exploitation through web applications. Network monitoring and intrusion detection systems should be configured to detect suspicious parameter patterns that may indicate attempts to exploit this vulnerability.