CVE-2008-0505 in Photo Gallery
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in docs/showdoc.php in Coppermine Photo Gallery (CPG) before 1.4.15 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) h and (2) t parameters.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/06/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-0505 affects the Coppermine Photo Gallery (CPG) web application version 1.4.14 and earlier, representing a critical cross-site scripting flaw that enables remote attackers to execute malicious code within the context of vulnerable web applications. This vulnerability specifically resides in the docs/showdoc.php component of the software, which processes user input parameters without adequate sanitization or validation mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation of the h and t parameters within the showdoc.php script. When users navigate to the documentation viewing functionality, the application directly incorporates these parameters into the generated HTML output without proper encoding or filtering. This allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code, HTML tags, or other malicious content that gets executed in the browsers of unsuspecting users who visit affected pages. The flaw falls under CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities, and represents a classic case of improper output encoding where user-controllable data enters the application's response without sanitization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it can enable sophisticated attack vectors including session hijacking, credential theft, and the delivery of malware to users. Attackers can craft malicious URLs containing script payloads that, when executed, can steal cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or even modify the application's behavior. The vulnerability affects any user who accesses the documentation functionality of the affected Coppermine Photo Gallery installation, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the gallery serves as a public-facing component of a website or web application. The attack requires no authentication and can be executed through simple web browser interactions, making it highly exploitable.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve immediate patching of the affected Coppermine Photo Gallery installation to version 1.4.15 or later, which contains the necessary input validation fixes. Additionally, administrators should implement proper output encoding for all user-controllable parameters and consider implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, though the most effective solution remains the immediate application of the vendor-provided security patch. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security assessments of their web applications to identify similar input validation vulnerabilities that may exist in other components or legacy systems, as this vulnerability type remains prevalent in web applications due to the complexity of proper input sanitization across different contexts and data types.