CVE-2006-1622 in PHPSelect
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in PHPSelect linksubmit allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) the description parameter to linklist.php and possibly other vectors involving (2) index.php and (3) linksubmit.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/09/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-1622 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the PHPSelect linksubmit component that exposes web applications to remote code execution through malicious script injection. This vulnerability specifically affects the linklist.php script where the description parameter serves as an entry point for attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content. The flaw extends beyond this single vector to encompass other components including index.php and linksubmit.php, indicating a systemic weakness in the application's input validation and output sanitization mechanisms. The vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications, making it a well-documented and widely recognized security weakness in the cybersecurity community. This type of vulnerability enables attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of a victim's browser session, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of authenticated users.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious input containing script code within the description parameter field and submits it through the affected PHP scripts. When the vulnerable application processes this input without proper sanitization and fails to encode output before rendering it in web pages, the injected scripts execute within the victim's browser context. The impact is particularly severe because the vulnerability affects multiple entry points, suggesting that the underlying security flaw exists in the application's core input handling mechanisms rather than being isolated to a single function or script. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform various malicious activities including stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, defacing web pages, or executing unauthorized administrative actions if the victim has elevated privileges. The vulnerability's presence in index.php and linksubmit.php indicates that the application lacks consistent input validation across its entire codebase, creating multiple attack surfaces for potential exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond immediate script execution to encompass broader security implications for web applications utilizing PHPSelect linksubmit components. Organizations running affected systems face significant risks including unauthorized data access, user session compromise, and potential lateral movement within network environments if the compromised application serves as a gateway to other systems. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple scripts suggests that defensive measures must be implemented at the application architecture level rather than individual script level, requiring comprehensive input validation and output encoding strategies. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability represents a low-effort, high-impact vector that can be exploited through simple HTTP requests without requiring sophisticated tools or deep system knowledge. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes social engineering tactics involving the delivery of malicious code through web-based attacks, specifically targeting the execution of arbitrary code within user browsers. Organizations may also face regulatory and compliance implications if user data is compromised through such vulnerabilities, particularly in environments governed by standards such as pci dss or hipaa that mandate robust input validation and output encoding practices.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the affected application. The primary defense involves implementing strict input sanitization routines that filter or escape special characters before processing user-supplied data, particularly in parameters like description, index.php, and linksubmit.php. Organizations should deploy context-specific output encoding mechanisms that ensure any user-provided content is properly escaped before being rendered in web pages, following established security practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten. Regular security code reviews and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities across the entire application codebase, as the presence of this flaw in multiple scripts indicates potential systemic weaknesses in the development security practices. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and content security policies can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of maintaining secure coding practices and the necessity of comprehensive security testing throughout the software development lifecycle to prevent similar issues from emerging in future versions of the application.