CVE-2006-6934 in Portix-PHP
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Portix-PHP 0.4.2 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) titre or (2) auteur field in a forum post.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/17/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-6934 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Portix-PHP content management system version 0.4.2. This vulnerability resides in the forum posting functionality where user input is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to other users. The specific attack vectors target the titre (title) and auteur (author) fields within forum posts, making this a classic example of reflected XSS that can be exploited by remote attackers without requiring any privileged access or authentication. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation practices and inadequate output encoding mechanisms that are fundamental to preventing XSS attacks in web applications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly escape or sanitize user-supplied data before it is stored in the database and subsequently displayed to other users. When an attacker submits malicious script code through either the titre or auteur field, the system stores this data verbatim without performing proper HTML entity encoding or script validation. This allows the malicious payload to execute within the browser context of any user who views the affected forum post, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability operates under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which covers phishing with malicious attachments and links.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption or display issues, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited repeatedly by attackers. Once an attacker successfully injects malicious code through either field, the script executes in the context of any user who views the compromised forum post, potentially allowing for complete session compromise or data exfiltration. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the entire forum system since any user can become a vector for further attacks, and the persistent nature of stored XSS means that the malicious code remains active until the affected fields are modified or cleaned. This creates a significant risk for user authentication data and can enable attackers to escalate privileges or access sensitive information within the application environment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding measures. The system must implement comprehensive sanitization of all user input fields, particularly those used for forum titles and author information, using established libraries or built-in functions that properly escape HTML characters and validate content against known malicious patterns. Organizations should deploy Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit script execution and prevent unauthorized code injection. The fix should include proper HTML entity encoding of all user-supplied content before rendering, implementing the principle of least privilege for user input handling, and establishing automated monitoring for suspicious content patterns. Additionally, regular security audits and input validation testing should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future versions of the application, aligning with industry best practices outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity guidelines.