CVE-2006-2066 in MKPortal
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities pm_popup.php in MKPortal 1.1 Rc1 and earlier, as used with vBulletin 3.5.4 and earlier, allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) u1, (2) m1, (3) m2, (4) m3, (5) m4 parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/01/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-2066 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in MKPortal 1.1 Rc1 and earlier versions when integrated with vBulletin 3.5.4 and earlier systems. This vulnerability specifically affects the pm_popup.php script which handles private message popup functionality within the portal environment. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly filter user-supplied data before rendering it in web responses. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious payloads in specific parameters, thereby bypassing the normal security controls that should prevent execution of unauthorized client-side scripts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which defines cross-site scripting as a weakness where an application fails to properly validate or escape user input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages. The vulnerability manifests through five distinct parameter vectors including u1, m1, m2, m3, and m4, each representing different data fields that can be manipulated to inject malicious content. These parameters likely correspond to user identifiers, message identifiers, and various metadata fields that are processed by the pm_popup.php script. The attack vector is classified as remote since no local access or authentication is required to exploit the vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous for widespread exploitation.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts in the context of victim browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The exploitation could allow attackers to impersonate legitimate users, access private messages, or perform unauthorized actions within the portal environment. Given that this vulnerability affects a portal system integrated with vBulletin, the potential attack surface extends to all users of the integrated platform, making it a significant concern for organizations relying on these legacy systems. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes social engineering attacks through malicious web content, and T1059 which covers command and scripting interpreters for execution of malicious code.
The exploitation of CVE-2006-2066 demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and output encoding in web application security. Organizations should implement comprehensive mitigation strategies including immediate patching of affected systems, deployment of web application firewalls, and implementation of strict input sanitization measures. The vulnerability highlights the need for proper parameter validation, especially for dynamic content generation scripts, and emphasizes the importance of following secure coding practices. Security measures should include regular vulnerability assessments, input filtering mechanisms, and proper error handling to prevent injection attacks. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing Content Security Policy headers and other browser-based protections to reduce the impact of successful XSS attacks. The remediation process requires thorough testing of patched versions to ensure that legitimate functionality remains intact while eliminating the security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious actors.