CVE-2005-4642 in HydroBB
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in HydroBB 1.0.0 Beta 2 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the s parameter to (1) search.php, (2) members.php, (3) stats.php, (4) viewforum.php, (5) register.php, (6) usercp.php, (7) groups.php, (8) pms.php, and (9) calendar.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/27/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-4642 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting HydroBB version 1.0.0 Beta 2, a web-based bulletin board system. This issue manifests across multiple core application pages, creating a widespread attack surface that significantly compromises user security and application integrity. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the application's core functionality, specifically failing to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before rendering it in web responses. The affected parameters include the s parameter across nine distinct script files, indicating a systemic flaw in the application's data handling architecture that affects fundamental user interaction points.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when remote attackers submit malicious script code through the s parameter in any of the listed PHP scripts. When the application processes these inputs without proper sanitization, the malicious code gets executed within the context of other users' browsers who view the affected pages. This creates a persistent threat vector where attackers can inject malicious JavaScript, HTML, or other client-side code that executes automatically when legitimate users access the compromised pages. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and represents a classic example of how insufficient input validation can create dangerous execution contexts for malicious code.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables attackers to perform session hijacking, redirect users to malicious sites, or steal sensitive information from authenticated users. The widespread nature of the vulnerability across multiple core application components means that any user interaction with the bulletin board system could potentially expose them to attack. Attackers could exploit this to gain unauthorized access to user accounts, modify forum content, or establish persistent backdoors through the injection of malicious scripts that remain active until the application is restarted or the vulnerable parameters are properly sanitized. This type of vulnerability directly violates security principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten, specifically addressing the risk of insecure data handling and insufficient input validation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-4642 require immediate implementation of proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms across all affected application components. The most effective approach involves implementing strict input validation that filters or escapes all user-supplied data before processing, particularly for parameters that are rendered in web responses. Organizations should implement context-specific output encoding for all dynamic content, ensuring that any data originating from user inputs is properly escaped before being displayed in HTML contexts. Additionally, the application should enforce proper parameter validation for the s parameter across all affected scripts, implementing whitelist validation or comprehensive sanitization routines that prevent the execution of malicious scripts. Security patches should be applied immediately to upgrade to a non-vulnerable version of HydroBB, as this vulnerability represents a critical threat that can be exploited without authentication. The remediation process should include comprehensive code review of all input handling mechanisms and implementation of automated testing procedures to prevent similar vulnerabilities from reoccurring in future development cycles.