CVE-2005-2060 in UBB.Threads
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple HTTP Response Splitting vulnerabilities in (1) toggleshow.php, (2) togglecats.php, and (3) showprofile.php in Infopop UBB.Threads before 6.5.2 Beta allow remote attackers to spoof web content and poison web caches via CRLF ("%0d%0a") sequences in the Cat parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/14/2019
The CVE-2005-2060 vulnerability represents a critical HTTP response splitting flaw affecting Infopop UBB.Threads versions prior to 6.5.2 Beta. This vulnerability manifests across three distinct script files including toggleshow.php, togglecats.php, and showprofile.php, all of which are part of the UBB.Threads forum software. The core issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into HTTP response headers. Attackers can exploit this weakness by injecting CRLF (Carriage Return Line Feed) sequences represented as %0d%0a into the Cat parameter, thereby enabling manipulation of the HTTP response structure.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when user input containing CRLF sequences is directly included in HTTP headers without proper encoding or sanitization. This allows malicious actors to inject additional HTTP headers into the response, effectively splitting the original response and enabling various attack vectors. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-113, which specifically addresses "Improper Neutralization of CRLF Sequences in HTTP Headers." This weakness permits attackers to manipulate the HTTP protocol by injecting malicious headers that can redirect subsequent requests, poison web caches, or facilitate cross-site scripting attacks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant security risks to organizations utilizing affected UBB.Threads installations. The ability to spoof web content means attackers can modify the response content that users receive, potentially displaying malicious advertisements, redirecting users to phishing sites, or injecting harmful scripts. The poisoning of web caches represents another serious concern as it can affect multiple users simultaneously, making the impact of the attack much broader than a single compromised session. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.002, which covers "Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment," as attackers could leverage this weakness to deliver malicious content through manipulated forum responses.
The attack vector requires minimal technical expertise and can be executed remotely, making it particularly dangerous for public-facing forums. The exploitation process involves crafting malicious input containing CRLF sequences and submitting it through the vulnerable Cat parameter, which then gets processed by the affected scripts without proper validation. This creates an environment where attackers can manipulate HTTP responses to achieve their objectives, including cache poisoning, session hijacking, or content injection attacks. Organizations should note that this vulnerability exists in versions prior to 6.5.2 Beta, indicating that the vendor recognized and addressed this specific weakness in their subsequent releases.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-2060 should focus on immediate patching of affected systems to the 6.5.2 Beta or later versions. Additionally, organizations should implement input validation measures that properly encode or sanitize all user-supplied data before it is used in HTTP headers. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, though the most effective solution remains the application of the vendor-provided security patches. Regular security assessments should include verification of input handling mechanisms in all web applications to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of proper HTTP header sanitization and input validation practices in web application development, particularly in forum and content management systems where user-generated content is prevalent.