CVE-2005-2288 in PHPCounter
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in PHPCounter 7.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the EpochPrefix parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/10/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-2288 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within PHPCounter 7.2, a web analytics tool designed to track website visitor statistics. This security weakness arises from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the application's processing of user-supplied data. The specific parameter affected is EpochPrefix, which serves as a timestamp prefix identifier in the counter's operational logic. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious script code within the EpochPrefix parameter value, which then gets executed in the context of other users' browsers when they access pages utilizing the vulnerable counter functionality.
The technical nature of this flaw aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting vulnerabilities as weaknesses that allow attackers to inject malicious scripts into web applications. This particular vulnerability demonstrates how improper handling of user input can lead to unauthorized code execution in victim browsers. The attack vector operates through the injection of malicious HTML or JavaScript code via the EpochPrefix parameter, which is then rendered without proper sanitization or encoding in the web application's output. The vulnerability exists because PHPCounter 7.2 fails to adequately escape or validate the EpochPrefix parameter before incorporating it into dynamic web content, creating an environment where attacker-controlled data can be interpreted as executable code rather than mere text.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to web application security and user privacy. When successfully exploited, the malicious scripts can perform various harmful actions including session hijacking, credential theft, redirection to malicious websites, or data exfiltration from users' browsers. The impact extends beyond individual user sessions to potentially compromise entire web applications that rely on PHPCounter for analytics. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access patterns, modify website content, or create backdoors for future exploitation. The vulnerability affects any user who accesses a web page containing the vulnerable PHPCounter implementation, making it particularly dangerous for high-traffic websites where numerous users interact with the application simultaneously.
The exploitation of CVE-2005-2288 can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers scripting languages including JavaScript, as attackers utilize web scripting capabilities to execute malicious code within victim browsers. Organizations using PHPCounter 7.2 should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in dynamic content generation. Recommended defenses include implementing proper HTML entity encoding for all dynamic content, employing Content Security Policy headers, and upgrading to patched versions of PHPCounter. Additionally, web application firewalls can provide additional protection layers, though the most effective solution involves comprehensive input sanitization and proper parameter validation throughout the application's codebase. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of validating all user inputs and properly escaping output data to prevent code injection attacks, aligning with fundamental secure coding practices outlined in industry security frameworks and standards.