CVE-2006-3245 in mvnForum
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in activatemember in mvnForum 1.0 GA and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) member and (2) activatecode parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-3245 represents a critical security flaw in mvnForum version 1.0 GA and earlier, specifically within the activatemember component. This issue manifests as multiple cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that enable remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected web applications. The vulnerability affects two primary parameter inputs: member and activatecode, which are processed during the member activation workflow of the forum software.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the mvnForum application. When user-supplied data is directly incorporated into web page responses without proper sanitization, attackers can inject malicious payloads that persist in the application's response. The member parameter likely accepts username or member identifier inputs while the activatecode parameter handles activation tokens or codes. Both parameters fail to implement robust validation controls, allowing attackers to submit crafted payloads that execute in the browser context of legitimate users.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security risks for forum administrators and users. Attackers can exploit these XSS flaws to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, redirect victims to malicious websites, or deface the forum content. The persistence of these vulnerabilities in the activation process means that any user attempting to activate their account could be exposed to malicious code execution. This creates a potential attack vector that could compromise user accounts and lead to broader system compromise through session hijacking or credential theft.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. This categorization indicates that the root cause involves improper neutralization of user-controllable input data that is subsequently used in web page generation. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability occurs during the account activation process, which represents a trusted interaction point where users expect security and legitimacy from the application. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1531 - Account Access Removal and T1059.007 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell, as attackers could potentially use the XSS to establish persistent access or execute malicious commands through compromised user sessions.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms for all user-supplied parameters. The application must sanitize all inputs through proper escaping techniques, particularly for HTML, JavaScript, and CSS content. Additionally, implementing a Content Security Policy (CSP) header can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting script execution. The most effective remediation involves upgrading to a patched version of mvnForum, as the vulnerability represents a known flaw that has been addressed in subsequent releases. Security headers, proper session management, and regular security assessments should also be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of the web application.