CVE-2007-3243 in bbPress
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in bb-login.php in bbPress 0.8.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the re parameter. NOTE: exploitation may require forcing the client to send a certain Referer header.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-3243 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the bbPress forum software version 0.8.1. This issue specifically affects the bb-login.php script where user input from the re parameter is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered in the web page output. The vulnerability classifies under CWE-79 which defines improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it a direct descendant of the well-known OWASP Top Ten category of injection flaws.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to craft malicious input that gets embedded into the re parameter when users navigate to the login page. When the affected bbPress application processes this parameter and displays it without adequate sanitization, the injected script code becomes executable within the context of other users' browsers. This creates a persistent threat where malicious actors can steal session cookies, deface websites, or redirect users to phishing sites. The vulnerability's operational impact is significantly amplified by the requirement to manipulate the Referer header, which suggests that the attack vector may involve social engineering or specific browser behavior manipulation to achieve successful exploitation.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly minor input validation gaps can create substantial security risks in web applications. The attack scenario typically involves an attacker constructing a malicious URL with crafted script code in the re parameter and then persuading victims to click through to the vulnerable page. The reliance on Referer header manipulation indicates that the vulnerability may be somewhat situational, requiring specific conditions to be met for successful exploitation, but this also means that the attack surface could be broader than initially apparent. The vulnerability's classification aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 which covers command and scripting interpreter, specifically targeting the execution of malicious scripts in web browsers. Organizations running bbPress 0.8.1 systems should implement immediate mitigations including input validation, output encoding, and proper parameter sanitization to prevent attackers from injecting malicious content into user-facing web pages. The recommended defensive measures include implementing Content Security Policy headers, using proper HTML escaping for all dynamic content, and upgrading to patched versions of bbPress where such vulnerabilities have been addressed.