CVE-2006-4259 in Fotopholder
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in index.php in Fotopholder 1.8 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the path parameter. NOTE: this might be resultant from a directory traversal vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/02/2018
The CVE-2006-4259 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the Fotopholder 1.8 web application's index.php file. This vulnerability specifically targets the path parameter handling mechanism, creating an exploitable condition where remote attackers can inject malicious web scripts or HTML content directly into the application's response. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization practices within the application's parameter processing logic, allowing malicious actors to manipulate the path parameter and execute arbitrary code within the context of a victim's browser session.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 Cross-site Scripting, which categorizes the flaw as an injection vulnerability where untrusted data flows into the application's web interface without proper validation or encoding. The path parameter in Fotopholder 1.8 appears to accept user-supplied input that is directly incorporated into the application's output without adequate sanitization measures. This creates a perfect storm for attackers to craft malicious payloads that can execute within the victim's browser environment, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further exploitation of the compromised user's privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session manipulation and potentially escalate privileges within the application. The noted connection to directory traversal vulnerability suggests that attackers might leverage this XSS flaw as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks, potentially gaining access to sensitive files or system resources. This dual nature of the vulnerability increases its threat profile significantly, as it can serve both as a standalone attack vector and as a component in broader exploitation chains that align with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 Initial Access: Spearphishing Attachment and T1566.002 Initial Access: Spearphishing Link.
Security practitioners should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent this vulnerability from being exploited. The recommended mitigation strategies include implementing strict parameter validation for all user-supplied inputs, particularly those used in dynamic content generation. Additionally, developers should employ proper HTML escaping and context-aware output encoding to ensure that any potentially malicious content cannot be executed as scripts. The application should also implement a Content Security Policy (CSP) to further limit the execution of unauthorized scripts. Organizations using Fotopholder 1.8 should consider immediate patching or upgrading to versions that address these input validation deficiencies, as the vulnerability represents a significant risk to user data and application security. The flaw demonstrates the critical importance of secure coding practices and proper input sanitization in preventing exploitation of web application vulnerabilities.