CVE-2006-5524 in PHPList
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in index.php in phplist 2.10.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the p parameter. NOTE: This issue might overlap CVE-2006-5321.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/25/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-5524 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the phplist 2.10.2 web application, specifically affecting the index.php script. This vulnerability resides in the handling of user input through the p parameter, which fails to properly sanitize or validate incoming data before processing. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML code directly into the application's response, creating a persistent security risk that can compromise user sessions and data integrity. The vulnerability's classification as a client-side attack vector means that successful exploitation occurs when unsuspecting users interact with the malicious content, making it particularly dangerous in web-based environments where user trust is paramount.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the phplist application's parameter processing logic. When the p parameter is submitted to index.php, the application does not adequately filter or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This lack of proper sanitization creates an opening for attackers to inject malicious payloads that execute in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications, where improper validation of user-supplied data leads to execution of malicious scripts. The attack surface is particularly concerning as it leverages a core application parameter that is likely used for legitimate navigation or functionality purposes, making the malicious injection more difficult to detect and distinguish from normal application behavior.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user information, manipulate application data, or redirect users to malicious websites. When users access compromised pages containing the injected scripts, their browsers execute the malicious code, potentially leading to unauthorized access to their accounts, data exfiltration, or further exploitation of the application's functionality. The vulnerability's potential overlap with CVE-2006-5321 suggests that multiple related XSS flaws may exist within the same version of phplist, indicating a broader security weakness in the application's input handling mechanisms. This overlap demonstrates the importance of comprehensive security auditing and the need for proper code review practices to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities across different application components.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The recommended approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied input, particularly parameters like p, through proper escaping or encoding before processing or displaying the data. Implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script execution, while regular security code reviews should be conducted to identify similar input handling issues. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of keeping web applications updated with the latest security patches, as phplist 2.10.2 was an older version that likely contained multiple unpatched security issues. Organizations should implement automated security testing tools and establish secure coding practices that align with OWASP Top Ten recommendations to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in future application deployments. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that all input parameters are properly validated and that output encoding is consistently applied throughout the application's codebase.