CVE-2005-2836 in Phorum
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Phorum 5.0.17a and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) the username parameter to register.php or (2) a signature of a logged-in user in "My Control Center," which is not properly handled by control.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/09/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-2836 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness affecting Phorum versions 5.0.17a and earlier. This flaw manifests in two distinct attack vectors that collectively expose the application to malicious script injection. The first vector occurs during user registration when the username parameter in register.php fails to properly sanitize input, while the second vector targets logged-in users through the signature field in My Control Center, which remains inadequately filtered in control.php. Both attack paths enable remote adversaries to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or data exfiltration.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications. This weakness stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the Phorum application's user management components. When user-supplied data flows through the application without proper sanitization, malicious payloads can be stored and subsequently executed in the browsers of other users who view the affected content. The vulnerability demonstrates poor secure coding practices where input validation should occur at multiple points in the application lifecycle, particularly when handling user-generated content that will be displayed in web contexts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, creating significant risks for both individual users and the application administrators. Attackers could leverage these XSS flaws to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious domains, or inject persistent malicious content that affects all users who encounter the compromised signatures or usernames. The vulnerability affects the core user authentication and profile management functionality, potentially compromising the entire user base of the affected forum. From an attacker's perspective, this represents a low-effort, high-impact vector that can be exploited through simple HTTP requests without requiring elevated privileges or complex exploitation techniques, making it particularly dangerous in the context of web applications.
Security professionals should implement comprehensive mitigation strategies that address both the immediate vulnerability and broader application security hygiene. Input validation and output encoding should be enforced throughout the application, particularly in user profile management areas where user-generated content is displayed. The application should implement proper HTML escaping for all user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages, and the development team should establish secure coding practices that prevent similar issues in future releases. Additionally, implementing content security policies and regular security audits of user input handling components would provide defense-in-depth measures against similar vulnerabilities. This vulnerability also highlights the importance of following established security frameworks and standards that emphasize proper input validation and output encoding as fundamental defensive measures against XSS attacks.