CVE-2005-2563 in Gravity Board X
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Gravity Board X (GBX) 1.1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) the board_id parameter to deletethread.php or (2) the template.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/23/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-2563 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness affecting Gravity Board X version 1.1, a web-based bulletin board system that was widely used for online community forums and discussion platforms. This vulnerability exposes the system to remote code execution through malicious web script injection, potentially compromising user sessions and enabling unauthorized access to sensitive data within the forum environment. The flaw specifically manifests in two distinct attack vectors that target different components of the GBX application architecture.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the application's handling of user-supplied data. The first attack vector targets the board_id parameter in the deletethread.php script, where the application fails to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into dynamic web page content. This allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code or HTML elements that execute within the context of other users' browsers when they view the affected pages. The second vulnerability occurs within the template processing functionality, where template variables are not adequately escaped or filtered, enabling similar injection attacks through template manipulation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations utilizing Gravity Board X 1.1, as it enables attackers to perform session hijacking, deface web pages, steal cookies, and potentially escalate privileges within the forum environment. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to include potential service disruption, reputational damage, and compliance violations, particularly for organizations subject to data protection regulations. Attackers could leverage these vulnerabilities to spread malicious content across multiple forum threads, compromise user trust, and potentially use the platform as a staging ground for further attacks against the broader network infrastructure.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with the attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1566 technique for "Phishing with Social Engineering". Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation, output encoding, and proper parameter sanitization across all user-facing application components. The recommended defensive measures include implementing a web application firewall, conducting thorough code reviews, and applying the latest security patches from the vendor to prevent exploitation of these persistent XSS vulnerabilities. Additionally, regular security assessments and user education regarding suspicious forum content should be implemented to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential business impact.