CVE-2006-0758 in HiveMail
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in HiveMail 1.3 and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a URL encoded expression in the query string in (1) index.php and (2) possibly certain other scripts, which is not properly cleansed when accessed from the $_SERVER[ PHP_SELF ] variable.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/14/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-0758 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting HiveMail versions 1.3 and earlier. This security weakness resides in the application's handling of user input within the HTTP query string parameters, specifically when these inputs are processed through the $_SERVER[PHP_SELF] variable. The issue demonstrates a classic input validation and output encoding problem that has been documented in numerous web applications over the years, with the vulnerability being categorized under CWE-79 as Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation. The flaw allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that can execute in the context of other users' browsers, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where users may interact with vulnerable applications.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when malicious actors craft specially formatted URLs containing encoded script payloads that are then processed through the index.php script or potentially other affected scripts within the HiveMail application. When the application retrieves these parameters through the $_SERVER[PHP_SELF] variable without proper sanitization or encoding, the malicious content becomes embedded in the generated web pages. This creates a persistent XSS vector that can be triggered whenever users access the vulnerable application, as the PHP_SELF variable contains the current script name and query string, making it susceptible to injection attacks. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it operates at the application layer, requiring no special privileges or complex exploitation techniques beyond crafting malicious URLs.
The operational impact of CVE-2006-0758 extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, defacement of web pages, and redirection to malicious sites. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal user credentials, access sensitive information, or manipulate the application's behavior to their advantage. The vulnerability also aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1566 for Phishing, as the malicious scripts can be used to redirect users to fraudulent sites or to harvest authentication tokens. In the context of web application security, this vulnerability represents a failure in the principle of least privilege and proper input validation, where user-supplied data should never be trusted or directly embedded in web responses without appropriate sanitization.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-0758 should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding practices. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied input through proper encoding functions such as htmlspecialchars() or similar mechanisms before displaying content in web pages. Additionally, developers should avoid using $_SERVER[PHP_SELF] directly in output generation and instead implement proper URL validation and sanitization routines. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts and employ web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in OWASP Top Ten and the principle of defense in depth, where multiple layers of security controls work together to prevent exploitation. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar input handling issues in legacy applications, as this type of vulnerability was prevalent in web applications of that era and continues to be relevant for understanding historical security weaknesses.