CVE-2006-3484 in ATutor
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in ATutor before 1.5.3 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) show_courses or (2) current_cat parameters to (a) admin/create_course.php, show_courses parameter to (b) users/create_course.php, (3) p parameter to (c) documentation/admin/, (4) forgot parameter to (d) password_reminder.php, (5) cat parameter to (e) users/browse.php, or the (6) submit parameter to admin/fix_content.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/08/2025
The CVE-2006-3484 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting ATutor versions prior to 1.5.3, demonstrating a classic input validation weakness that enables remote code execution through malicious web script injection. This vulnerability exists across multiple entry points within the application's administrative and user interfaces, creating a comprehensive attack surface that could be exploited by threat actors to compromise user sessions and execute unauthorized commands. The flaw stems from insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input parameters, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads that persist in the application's response, thereby creating persistent XSS vectors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability spans several key administrative and user-facing scripts within the ATutor platform, specifically targeting parameters such as show_courses, current_cat, p, forgot, cat, and submit. These parameters are processed without adequate input filtering or output encoding, creating opportunities for attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability affects both administrative functions and user-facing components, including course creation, documentation access, password recovery, and content management interfaces. According to CWE classification, this represents a CWE-79: Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability, specifically manifesting as a persistent XSS attack vector that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
The operational impact of CVE-2006-3484 extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling attackers to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of victims, and establish persistent backdoors within the educational platform. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities to execute malicious scripts that capture user credentials, redirect users to phishing sites, or manipulate course content in ways that compromise the integrity of the learning management system. The attack vectors target multiple components including admin/create_course.php, users/create_course.php, documentation/admin/, password_reminder.php, users/browse.php, and admin/fix_content.php, creating a comprehensive compromise of the application's security posture.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding measures across all affected parameters and scripts. Organizations should implement proper parameter sanitization, utilize context-specific output encoding, and deploy web application firewalls to detect and prevent malicious payloads. The fix involves ensuring that all user-supplied input is properly validated against expected formats and that output is encoded appropriately for the context in which it is rendered. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1566.001: Phishing, as attackers could leverage these XSS vectors to create convincing phishing campaigns within the legitimate application interface. Additionally, the vulnerability aligns with T1071.004: Application Layer Protocol, as the attack exploits web application protocols to inject malicious content. Organizations should also implement regular security assessments, maintain updated security patches, and establish proper input validation policies to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future versions of the software.