CVE-2006-0112 in Enhanced Simple PHP Gallery
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in index.php in Enhanced Simple PHP Gallery 1.7 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the dir parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/31/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-0112 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Enhanced Simple PHP Gallery version 1.7 web application. This issue manifests in the index.php script where user-supplied input through the dir parameter is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered in the web page output. The vulnerability classifies under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities, making it a fundamental web application security weakness that enables malicious actors to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The affected application fails to implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms that would normally prevent such injection attacks from succeeding.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious payload containing HTML or JavaScript code and passes it through the dir parameter in the URL. When the vulnerable gallery application processes this input and displays it without adequate sanitization, the embedded scripts execute within the context of other users' browsers who view the affected page. This creates a persistent threat vector where attackers can steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of victims, redirect users to malicious sites, or deface the gallery interface. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows remote code execution in the browser context of legitimate users who interact with the compromised gallery.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement. Attackers can leverage this weakness to establish persistent access patterns through session hijacking, conduct phishing attacks by redirecting users to malicious domains, or deploy more sophisticated malware payloads that exploit the trust relationship between users and the gallery application. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the web application, potentially compromising user data and the overall security posture of systems hosting the vulnerable software. From an attacker's perspective, this represents a low-effort, high-impact vector that can be exploited without requiring elevated privileges or specialized tools, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users interact with the gallery.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. The most effective immediate solution involves implementing proper input validation and output encoding techniques that ensure all user-supplied data is sanitized before being processed or displayed. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers the use of scripting languages for exploitation purposes. Organizations should also implement Content Security Policy headers to limit the sources from which scripts can be executed, and consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and output encoding practices that are fundamental to preventing XSS attacks, with remediation efforts typically requiring code modifications to properly escape or filter user input before it reaches the browser context. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify similar weaknesses in other web applications and ensure comprehensive protection against such exploitation vectors.