CVE-2008-1173 in TorrentTrader
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in account-inbox.php in TorrentTrader Classic 1.08 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the msg parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/25/2025
The CVE-2008-1173 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw in the TorrentTrader Classic 1.08 web application, specifically within the account-inbox.php script. This vulnerability exposes the application to malicious injection attacks that can compromise user sessions and data integrity. The flaw occurs when the application fails to properly sanitize user input passed through the msg parameter, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws identified by the CWE database.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a failure in input validation and output encoding practices within the TorrentTrader Classic application. When users navigate to the account inbox page and interact with messages containing malicious payloads in the msg parameter, the application processes this input without adequate sanitization measures. This creates an environment where attackers can craft specially formatted messages that, when viewed by other users, execute malicious scripts in their browser context. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the user interaction level, meaning that successful exploitation requires only that a victim view a maliciously crafted message within the application interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user information, or manipulate the application's functionality. An attacker could craft messages that redirect users to malicious sites, steal cookies, or inject phishing content that appears legitimate within the trusted application environment. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for Phishing and T1566.002 for Spearphishing via Service, as it provides a vector for delivering malicious payloads through the application's messaging system. The compromised nature of user sessions could lead to unauthorized access to personal data, account manipulation, and potential escalation to privilege abuse within the application's access control model.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-1173 should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The primary remediation involves sanitizing all user-supplied input through proper encoding before rendering it in the application's output, specifically implementing HTML entity encoding for the msg parameter. Additionally, developers should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and establish proper input validation routines that reject or sanitize potentially malicious content. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and code reviews, particularly for legacy applications like TorrentTrader Classic that may not have been designed with modern security practices in mind. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious input patterns to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that the fix does not break legitimate functionality while effectively neutralizing the XSS attack vector.