CVE-2008-1500 in TinyPortal
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in index.php in TinyPortal 0.8.6 and 1.0.3 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the PHPSESSID parameter. NOTE: the provenance of this information is unknown; the details are obtained solely from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1500 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the TinyPortal content management system version 0.8.6 and 1.0.3. This security weakness resides in the index.php script and specifically affects the handling of the PHPSESSID parameter, which is commonly used to maintain user sessions in web applications. The vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive information or account takeovers. The flaw demonstrates a classic XSS vulnerability pattern where user-supplied input is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered in web pages.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices within the TinyPortal framework. When the PHPSESSID parameter is passed through the URL and subsequently processed by the index.php script, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape the input before incorporating it into the HTTP response. This allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code or HTML content that gets executed in the victim's browser when the page is rendered. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically representing a reflected XSS attack where the malicious payload is reflected off the web server and delivered to the victim's browser. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it leverages session management parameters that are automatically included in browser requests, making exploitation relatively straightforward.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can be exploited to perform various malicious activities within the compromised user's browser context. Attackers could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, deface the affected website, or even escalate privileges within the application if the targeted users have administrative rights. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical skill since it targets a fundamental web application security principle of input sanitization. Given that PHPSESSID is a standard session identifier parameter, this flaw could affect any user who visits a maliciously crafted URL containing the XSS payload, making it a particularly dangerous vulnerability for web applications that rely on session management for user authentication and authorization.
Security mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The recommended approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied input, particularly URL parameters like PHPSESSID, before incorporating them into web responses. This includes implementing strict validation of session identifiers and ensuring that any potentially malicious content is properly escaped or filtered. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit the sources from which scripts can be executed, providing an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to the OWASP Top Ten security guidelines, particularly those addressing input validation and output encoding. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in web applications, with the ATT&CK framework categorizing this as a technique for initial access through web application exploitation. The remediation process requires immediate patching of the affected TinyPortal versions or implementing proper input sanitization measures to prevent the injection of malicious content through session parameters.