CVE-2006-0136 in Chimera Web Portal
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the guestbook module in modules.php in Phanatic Softwares Chimera Web Portal System 0.2 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) comment_poster, (2) comment_poster_email, (3) comment_poster_homepage, and (4) comment_text parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/17/2025
The vulnerability CVE-2006-0136 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the guestbook module of the Chimera Web Portal System version 0.2 developed by Phanatic Softwares. This security weakness exists within the modules.php file and affects the guestbook functionality that allows users to submit comments through web forms. The vulnerability manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize user input before rendering it back to web browsers, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute unauthorized scripts in the context of other users' sessions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through four specific parameters within the guestbook submission process: comment_poster, comment_poster_email, comment_poster_homepage, and comment_text. These parameters receive user-supplied data that is not adequately validated or escaped before being stored and subsequently displayed on web pages. Attackers can craft malicious input strings containing javascript code or html tags that will be executed when other users view the affected guestbook entries. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a code injection flaw that allows attackers to execute scripts in the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable sophisticated attack vectors including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious websites. When users visit pages containing malicious guestbook entries, their browsers execute the injected scripts, potentially allowing attackers to access session cookies, steal login credentials, or redirect victims to phishing sites. The vulnerability affects the entire user base of the web portal system since any user who views the compromised guestbook entries becomes a potential victim. This makes it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users interact with shared content management systems.
The attack surface for this vulnerability is significant given that guestbook modules are commonly used in web applications to collect user feedback and comments. The fact that multiple input parameters are affected increases the probability of successful exploitation and allows attackers to craft more sophisticated payloads. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1531 - Account Access Token Manipulation and T1059.007 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, as attackers can leverage the XSS to manipulate user sessions and execute malicious javascript code. The vulnerability also aligns with T1213.002 - Data from Information Repositories: Web portals, indicating how attackers can exploit web application flaws to access and manipulate stored data.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied data. The system should implement proper HTML escaping for all parameters before rendering them in web pages, ensuring that any potentially malicious script code is treated as plain text rather than executable content. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against script execution. The web application should also employ proper parameter validation to reject or sanitize input containing potentially dangerous characters and patterns. Organizations using this software should upgrade to patched versions or implement web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious XSS payloads. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be conducted to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in future development cycles, as this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of sanitizing all user input in web applications.