CVE-2005-2855 in Unclassified NewsBoard
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Unclassified NewsBoard 1.5.3 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the description field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/23/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-2855 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Unclassified NewsBoard 1.5.3 web application, classified under CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation. This vulnerability exists in the application's handling of user input within the description field, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content that executes in the context of other users' browsers. The flaw stems from insufficient validation and sanitization of input data before it is rendered back to users, allowing attackers to bypass security mechanisms that typically protect against such malicious code injection.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker submits malicious content through the description field of the newsboard application. When other users view the affected content, their browsers execute the injected scripts, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious websites. The vulnerability specifically targets the web application's user interface rendering process, where user-provided content is directly embedded into HTML responses without proper sanitization. This type of flaw falls under the ATT&CK technique T1059.001 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, as it enables attackers to execute malicious JavaScript code within victim browsers through the compromised application interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable sophisticated attacks including but not limited to cookie theft, authentication bypass, and data exfiltration. Attackers can craft payloads that exploit the XSS vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or modify the application's behavior to serve malicious content. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the web application, potentially compromising the entire user base that interacts with the newsboard. Organizations using this vulnerable version face significant risk of unauthorized access and data compromise, as the flaw exists at the application layer where user interactions are processed and displayed.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-2855 require immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding measures. The primary remediation involves sanitizing all user input through proper validation and encoding before rendering content, specifically implementing HTML escaping techniques for dynamic content. Organizations should deploy content security policies to prevent execution of unauthorized scripts and implement proper input filtering to reject suspicious characters and patterns. Additionally, upgrading to a patched version of Unclassified NewsBoard or migrating to a more secure news management system represents the most effective long-term solution. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in web applications and aligns with security best practices outlined in OWASP Top 10 A03:2021 - Injection, emphasizing that proper sanitization of user input is essential to prevent XSS attacks. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, as this type of flaw often indicates broader security gaps in web application development practices.