CVE-2006-4915 in Innovate Portal
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in index.php in Innovate Portal 2.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the content parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/28/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-4915 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Innovate Portal 2.0 web application. This security weakness resides in the index.php script and specifically targets the content parameter, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute unauthorized code within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability falls under the broader category of web application security flaws that have been consistently documented and categorized by the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) as CWE-79, which describes "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')". The flaw demonstrates the fundamental risk associated with inadequate input validation and output sanitization in web applications where user-supplied data is directly incorporated into dynamic web content without proper security measures.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious input containing script code within the content parameter of the index.php endpoint. When this malformed input is processed and displayed within the web interface, the embedded scripts execute in the browsers of unsuspecting users who view the affected content. This type of attack leverages the trust relationship between the web application and its users, allowing the malicious code to run with the privileges of the victim's session. The vulnerability specifically affects the Innovate Portal 2.0 version 2.0, indicating that this was likely a targeted flaw in the application's input handling mechanism rather than a broader architectural issue. The attack vector operates entirely through web-based communication channels, making it accessible to remote attackers without requiring local system access or specialized hardware.
The operational impact of CVE-2006-4915 extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking, as the injected scripts can perform a wide range of malicious activities. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, deface the portal content, or even execute more sophisticated attacks such as credential harvesting or privilege escalation within the application's context. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers can exploit it from anywhere on the internet, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that serve a wide user base. Organizations using Innovate Portal 2.0 would face potential data breaches, reputational damage, and compliance violations if this vulnerability were exploited in production environments. The attack could also facilitate further penetration attempts by providing attackers with a foothold to explore other potentially vulnerable components within the same application ecosystem.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data flow. The most effective immediate fix involves sanitizing all user input parameters, particularly those that are directly rendered in web pages, through proper HTML encoding and validation techniques. Organizations should implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the sources from which scripts can be executed, providing an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks. The remediation process should include thorough code review and input validation implementation, ensuring that all parameters including the content parameter in index.php are properly sanitized before processing. Security teams should also consider implementing Web Application Firewalls (WAF) rules specifically designed to detect and block XSS attack patterns, while maintaining regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to the OWASP Top Ten security guidelines for preventing cross-site scripting attacks, particularly in applications that handle user-generated content.