CVE-2007-1443 in Burning Board
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in register.php in Woltlab Burning Board (wBB) 2.3.6 and Burning Board Lite 1.0.2pl3e allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) r_username, (2) r_email, (3) r_password, (4) r_confirmpassword, (5) r_homepage, (6) r_icq, (7) r_aim, (8) r_yim, (9) r_msn, (10) r_year, (11) r_month, (12) r_day, (13) r_gender, (14) r_signature, (15) r_usertext, (16) r_invisible, (17) r_usecookies, (18) r_admincanemail, (19) r_emailnotify, (20) r_notificationperpm, (21) r_receivepm, (22) r_emailonpm, (23) r_pmpopup, (24) r_showsignatures, (25) r_showavatars, (26) r_showimages, (27) r_daysprune, (28) r_umaxposts, (29) r_dateformat, (30) r_timeformat, (31) r_startweek, (32) r_timezoneoffset, (33) r_usewysiwyg, (34) r_styleid, (35) r_langid, (36) key_string, (37) key_number, (38) disablesmilies, (39) disablebbcode, (40) disableimages, (41) field[1], (42) field[2], and (43) field[3] parameters. NOTE: a third-party researcher has disputed some of these vectors, stating that only the r_dateformat and r_timeformat parameters in Burning Board 2.3.6 are affected.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/15/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-1443 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Woltlab Burning Board versions 2.3.6 and Burning Board Lite 1.0.2pl3e. This issue stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the registration process, specifically in the register.php script. The vulnerability manifests through numerous parameters that handle user-submitted data during account creation, creating a broad attack surface that could be exploited by remote attackers to inject malicious scripts into the application's web interface. The flaw falls under CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190 for exploitation of web application vulnerabilities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the failure to properly sanitize user inputs before rendering them within web pages. Attackers can leverage this weakness by submitting malicious payloads through any of the 43 identified parameters during user registration, including basic fields like username and email alongside more complex configuration options such as date formatting preferences, timezone settings, and various user interface preferences. The vulnerability's scope extends beyond simple script injection to potentially enable session hijacking, credential theft, and other malicious activities that could compromise user accounts and the broader application security. The fact that a third-party researcher has disputed the vectors for most parameters suggests that the initial vulnerability assessment may have included false positives, with only r_dateformat and r_timeformat parameters definitively confirmed as vulnerable in Burning Board 2.3.6.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for any organization utilizing these specific versions of Woltlab Burning Board, as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts in the context of affected user sessions. This could result in unauthorized access to user accounts, data exfiltration, and potential privilege escalation within the forum environment. The widespread nature of the affected parameters means that even seemingly innocuous fields like date format selections could serve as entry points for attackers. The vulnerability's exploitation requires no special privileges and can be executed through standard web browser interactions, making it particularly dangerous for public-facing forum applications where user registration is open.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-1443 should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. Organizations should immediately upgrade to patched versions of Woltlab Burning Board, as the vulnerability was addressed in subsequent releases. Additionally, implementing proper HTML escaping for all user inputs before rendering them in web pages would prevent script execution. Security measures should include the deployment of web application firewalls, regular security code reviews, and input sanitization at multiple layers of the application architecture. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper input validation in web applications and demonstrates how seemingly minor oversights in user input handling can create significant security risks. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies to further limit the potential impact of any remaining XSS vulnerabilities in their applications.