CVE-2006-5983 in DirectAdmin
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in JBMC Software DirectAdmin 1.28.1 allow remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) user parameter to (a) CMD_SHOW_RESELLER or (b) CMD_SHOW_USER in the Admin level; the (2) TYPE parameter to (c) CMD_TICKET_CREATE or (d) CMD_TICKET, the (3) user parameter to (e) CMD_EMAIL_FORWARDER_MODIFY, (f) CMD_EMAIL_VACATION_MODIFY, or (g) CMD_FTP_SHOW, and the (4) name parameter to (h) CMD_EMAIL_LIST in the User level; or the (5) user parameter to (i) CMD_SHOW_USER in the Reseller level.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/12/2025
The CVE-2006-5983 vulnerability represents a significant cross-site scripting flaw in JBMC Software DirectAdmin version 1.28.1, a widely used web-based control panel for managing hosting services. This vulnerability affects the administrative interface of the software and poses a serious risk to web hosting environments where multiple users with varying permission levels interact with the system. The flaw enables authenticated attackers to inject malicious scripts into the application's response, potentially compromising user sessions and gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data within the hosting environment. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects multiple parameters across different administrative functions, demonstrating a systemic weakness in input validation and output encoding mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input parameters within the DirectAdmin administrative interface. Specifically, the flaw manifests in five distinct locations where user input is directly incorporated into HTML responses without proper escaping or encoding. The vulnerable parameters include the user parameter in CMD_SHOW_RESELLER and CMD_SHOW_USER commands at the administrative level, the TYPE parameter in CMD_TICKET_CREATE and CMD_TICKET commands, the user parameter in email and FTP management functions such as CMD_EMAIL_FORWARDER_MODIFY and CMD_FTP_SHOW, and finally the name parameter in CMD_EMAIL_LIST at the user level. These locations represent common entry points for attackers seeking to exploit the system's trust in user input, allowing them to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers.
The operational impact of CVE-2006-5983 extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, steal administrative credentials, and manipulate user data within the hosting environment. An authenticated attacker with access to the system can leverage these vulnerabilities to create persistent backdoors, modify user accounts, and potentially escalate privileges to full administrative control. The vulnerability affects different user roles within the system, from regular users to resellers and administrators, creating a cascading risk where compromise of lower-level accounts could lead to higher-level access. This multi-level exposure aligns with CWE-79 which classifies cross-site scripting vulnerabilities as a critical weakness in web application security, particularly when the flaw affects authenticated users who already possess legitimate access to the system.
The exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates a clear violation of secure coding practices and represents a failure in the principle of least privilege enforcement within the application's security model. Attackers can leverage the authenticated nature of the vulnerability to bypass traditional security controls, as they already possess valid credentials to access the system. The attack surface is broadened by the fact that multiple command parameters are vulnerable, indicating a systemic lack of input validation across the application's administrative functions. This vulnerability would typically be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and script injection, specifically targeting web application interfaces. Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including input validation, output encoding, and regular security updates to prevent exploitation of these persistent cross-site scripting flaws. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and the implementation of web application firewalls to detect and prevent such injection attacks in production environments.