CVE-2005-3412 in Elite Forum
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Elite Forum 1.0.0.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a Post Reply to a topic, in which the reply contains a javascript: URL in an <img> tag.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/24/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-3412 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Elite Forum 1.0.0.0 web application. This security weakness resides in the forum's handling of user-generated content, specifically when processing replies to existing topics. The vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of other users' browsers through carefully crafted input that bypasses normal sanitization mechanisms. The flaw manifests when a user submits a reply containing an image tag with a javascript: URL as the source attribute, which the forum fails to properly validate or escape before rendering in the web page.
This particular XSS vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws identified by the CWE project. The attack vector exploits the forum's insufficient input validation and output encoding practices, allowing attackers to inject malicious code that executes whenever other users view the affected forum topic. The specific technique involves embedding a javascript: URL within an image tag's src attribute, a method that can bypass basic security filters that might not properly sanitize all HTML attributes or recognize the malicious intent of such obfuscated payloads. The vulnerability demonstrates a critical failure in the application's security model, where user input is not adequately sanitized before being rendered back to other users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of victims, redirect users to malicious websites, or even escalate privileges within the forum environment. Users who view the malicious reply could have their browser sessions hijacked, potentially allowing attackers to access private forums, post unauthorized content, or access personal information. The vulnerability particularly affects the forum's integrity and user trust, as it creates a persistent threat that remains active until patched, potentially affecting all users who interact with the compromised content. This type of vulnerability can be exploited in conjunction with other attack vectors, such as credential theft or privilege escalation within the forum's user management system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The forum should employ strict HTML sanitization that removes or escapes dangerous attributes such as src, onclick, and onerror from image tags and other HTML elements. Security measures should include the implementation of Content Security Policy headers to restrict script execution and the use of proper encoding techniques when rendering user-generated content. Additionally, developers should implement proper input validation that rejects or sanitizes javascript: URLs and other potentially dangerous protocols within HTML attributes. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to the OWASP Top Ten security guidelines, particularly those related to input validation and output encoding. Regular security testing and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other parts of the application, while also implementing proper user access controls and monitoring for suspicious activity within the forum environment.