CVE-2005-3638 in Ekinboard
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Ekinboard 1.0.3 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) id parameter in profile.php and (2) titles of posts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/24/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-3638 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Ekinboard version 1.0.3, a web-based discussion forum application. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws. The vulnerability specifically affects two distinct input vectors within the application's profile management and post creation functionality, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through multiple attack paths.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the Ekinboard application. Attackers can exploit this weakness by injecting malicious scripts through the id parameter in profile.php and through the titles of posts. When the application fails to properly sanitize or encode user-supplied input before rendering it in web pages, it creates an environment where malicious code can execute in the context of other users' browsers. The id parameter in profile.php represents a direct injection point where attacker-controlled data flows into the application's output without proper sanitization, while the post title field provides an additional vector for script injection attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement. When exploited, these XSS flaws can enable attackers to steal session cookies, perform actions on behalf of authenticated users, redirect victims to malicious websites, or even install malware through browser-based attacks. The vulnerability affects all users of the application who view compromised profiles or posts, making it a persistent threat that can compromise the security of an entire user community. The attack requires no special privileges or access to the server itself, as it operates entirely through client-side exploitation of the web application's insecure input handling.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The recommended approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied input before processing or storing it, and ensuring that all dynamic content is properly escaped when rendered in web pages. This aligns with the OWASP Top Ten security practices and the ATT&CK framework's mitigation recommendations for web application vulnerabilities. Organizations should also implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to add an additional layer of protection against script injection attacks, while regular security testing and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. The patching process requires updating Ekinboard to a version that properly addresses these input validation issues, as the vulnerability exists at the application logic level rather than being a configuration or infrastructure problem.