CVE-2007-2248 in Phorum
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in admin.php in Phorum before 5.1.22 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) group_id parameter in the groups module or (2) the smiley_id parameter in the smileys modsettings module.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/09/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-2248 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness affecting the Phorum bulletin board system prior to version 5.1.22. This vulnerability resides within the administrative interface of the software, specifically targeting two distinct parameters that handle user input without proper sanitization or validation. The affected modules include the groups module where the group_id parameter is processed and the smileys modsettings module where the smiley_id parameter is handled, both of which are part of the administrative functionality that allows system administrators to configure various aspects of the forum.
The technical flaw manifests through insufficient input validation and output encoding practices within the Phorum application's administrative components. When administrators or users interact with the groups module, the group_id parameter is directly incorporated into the application's response without proper sanitization of potentially malicious input. Similarly, in the smileys modsettings module, the smiley_id parameter suffers from the same deficiency, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary HTML or JavaScript code that gets executed in the context of the victim's browser. This vulnerability is categorized as CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly escape or encode user-controllable data before including it in web responses.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted. Remote attackers can exploit these XSS flaws to execute malicious scripts in the browsers of users who access the affected Phorum installations, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The administrative nature of the affected modules means that successful exploitation could provide attackers with elevated privileges within the forum system, allowing them to manipulate group memberships, modify smiley configurations, or potentially gain access to other administrative functions. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 - Account Access Removal, as it could enable attackers to establish persistent access through compromised administrative sessions.
The security implications extend beyond immediate script execution as attackers can leverage these vulnerabilities to conduct more sophisticated attacks such as credential harvesting through form grabbing or creating backdoor access points within the forum environment. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it targets administrative components that are frequently accessed by legitimate users with elevated privileges, making successful exploitation more impactful. Organizations using Phorum versions prior to 5.1.22 face significant risk of unauthorized access and potential data compromise through these persistent XSS vulnerabilities that remain active in the administrative interface.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of the Phorum software to version 5.1.22 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for these XSS vulnerabilities. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and output encoding practices throughout the application codebase can prevent similar issues from occurring in other components. Security measures such as content security policies, regular security audits, and input sanitization frameworks should be deployed to protect against similar vulnerabilities. The remediation process should also include monitoring for exploitation attempts and ensuring that administrative access is protected through additional authentication layers and session management controls. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their Phorum installations to identify any other potential vulnerabilities that may have been exploited through these XSS flaws.