CVE-2006-0909 in IP.Board
Summary
by MITRE
Invision Power Board (IPB) 2.1.4 and earlier allows remote attackers to view sensitive information via a direct request to multiple PHP scripts that include the full path in error messages, including (1) PEAR/Text/Diff/Renderer/inline.php, (2) PEAR/Text/Diff/Renderer/unified.php, (3) PEAR/Text/Diff3.php, (4) class_db.php, (5) class_db_mysql.php, and (6) class_xml.php in the ips_kernel/ directory; (7) mysql_admin_queries.php, (8) mysql_extra_queries.php, (9) mysql_queries.php, and (10) mysql_subsm_queries.php in the sources/sql directory; (11) sources/acp_loaders/acp_pages_components.php; (12) sources/action_admin/member.php and (13) sources/action_admin/paysubscriptions.php; (14) login.php, (15) messenger.php, (16) moderate.php, (17) paysubscriptions.php, (18) register.php, (19) search.php, (20) topics.php, (21) and usercp.php in the sources/action_public directory; (22) bbcode/class_bbcode.php, (23) bbcode/class_bbcode_legacy.php, (24) editor/class_editor_rte.php, (25) editor/class_editor_std.php, (26) post/class_post.php, (27) post/class_post_edit.php, (28) post/class_post_new.php, (29) and post/class_post_reply.php in the sources/classes directory; (30) sources/components_acp/registration_DEPR.php; (31) sources/handlers/han_paysubscriptions.php; (32) func_usercp.php; (33) search_mysql_ftext.php, and (34) search_mysql_man.php in the sources/lib/ directory; and (35) convert/auth.php.bak, (36) external/auth.php, and (37) ldap/auth.php in the sources/loginauth directory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/21/2017
This vulnerability in Invision Power Board version 2.1.4 and earlier represents a critical information disclosure flaw that exposes system paths through error messages generated by multiple PHP scripts. The vulnerability stems from improper error handling mechanisms that reveal full system paths when scripts encounter runtime exceptions or failures. Attackers can exploit this by directly requesting specific PHP files that contain sensitive path information in their error responses, creating a comprehensive attack surface that spans the entire application architecture.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-209, which addresses the exposure of sensitive information through error messages. The affected components include core database classes like class_db.php and class_db_mysql.php, administrative SQL query handlers such as mysql_admin_queries.php, and various public action scripts including login.php and usercp.php. These scripts demonstrate a systemic lack of proper error sanitization, where full file paths are embedded in error output rather than being filtered or logged appropriately. The vulnerability affects both administrative and public-facing components, creating a wide attack surface that could provide attackers with detailed knowledge of the application's directory structure and file locations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with critical system reconnaissance data that can be used for further exploitation. The exposed paths reveal the complete directory structure of the vulnerable application, potentially enabling attackers to craft more sophisticated attacks against other components. This information disclosure can be leveraged by threat actors to identify potential attack vectors, understand the application's architecture, and plan targeted exploitation attempts. The vulnerability affects multiple layers of the application including kernel components, database interfaces, administrative functions, and user-facing modules, making it particularly dangerous as it provides comprehensive system mapping.
Security mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper error handling mechanisms that sanitize all error messages before display. The recommended approach involves configuring PHP to suppress detailed error information in production environments and implementing custom error handlers that log errors internally while displaying generic messages to users. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive code reviews to identify all scripts that may expose system paths and ensure proper input validation and error handling throughout the application. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following security best practices outlined in the OWASP Top Ten, particularly the handling of sensitive data and error management. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a reconnaissance technique, where attackers gather system information before launching more sophisticated attacks, making early detection and remediation critical to maintaining application security posture.