CVE-2005-2322 in Clever Copy
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Class-1 Forum 0.24.4 and 0.23.2, and Clever Copy with forums installed, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) viewuser_id or (2) group parameter to users.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/27/2017
This cross-site scripting vulnerability exists in Class-1 Forum versions 0.24.4 and 0.23.2, as well as in Clever Copy installations that include forums. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability specifically affects the users.php script where two parameters namely viewuser_id and group are not properly sanitized before being rendered in web pages. This creates an opportunity for attackers to inject malicious payloads that can persist and affect unsuspecting users who visit affected pages.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which describes improper neutralization of input during web output, specifically cross-site scripting flaws. The vulnerability operates through the injection of malicious script code into parameters that are then reflected back to users without proper sanitization or encoding. When users navigate to pages that contain these unsanitized parameters, their browsers execute the injected scripts, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires no special privileges from the attacker beyond access to the vulnerable web application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection as it represents a significant security risk for forum administrators and users alike. Attackers can exploit this flaw to steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or even modify forum content through more sophisticated attack chains. The persistence of the vulnerability across multiple versions indicates a fundamental flaw in the input validation mechanisms of these forum applications. Users who browse forums with this vulnerability may unknowingly execute malicious code, potentially compromising their accounts and system integrity. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation can occur from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the target system.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The most effective immediate solution involves sanitizing all user-supplied input parameters before rendering them in web pages. This includes implementing proper HTML entity encoding for all dynamic content and employing strict input validation to reject potentially malicious characters. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and prevent unauthorized code injection. Regular security updates and patch management processes are essential to address such vulnerabilities in legacy forum software. The remediation approach should align with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script injection and T1566 for social engineering attacks that leverage XSS vulnerabilities. Additionally, implementing proper web application firewalls and input filtering mechanisms can provide additional layers of protection against similar cross-site scripting attacks.