CVE-2008-1716 in Burning Board
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in WoltLab Community Framework (WCF) 1.0.6 in WoltLab Burning Board 3.0.5 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) page and (2) form parameters, which are not properly handled when they are reflected back in an error message.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/17/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-1716 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the WoltLab Community Framework version 1.0.6, specifically affecting WoltLab Burning Board 3.0.5. This security weakness falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, where the application fails to properly sanitize user input before reflecting it back to users in error messages. The vulnerability manifests when malicious actors exploit the lack of input validation in the page and form parameters, allowing them to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content that gets executed in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical implementation of this flaw occurs in the error handling mechanism of the WCF framework where user-supplied parameters are directly incorporated into error messages without adequate sanitization or encoding. When an attacker submits malicious input through the page or form parameters, the system processes this data and displays it in error messages, creating a reflected XSS scenario. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages the legitimate error reporting functionality of the application to deliver malicious payloads, making it difficult for users to distinguish between genuine error messages and crafted attacks. This type of vulnerability is classified as a reflected XSS attack under the ATT&CK framework's technique T1165, which involves the injection of malicious scripts into web applications that are then reflected back to users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious websites. An attacker could craft payloads that steal cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or even inject malicious code that persists in the user's browser session. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the community forum platform, potentially compromising user data and the integrity of the entire system. Given that this vulnerability exists in a community framework that likely handles sensitive user information, the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access escalates significantly.
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 input parameters before they are processed or displayed in error messages, with particular emphasis on encoding special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript. Organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of inline scripts and ensure that all parameters are validated against a strict whitelist of acceptable values. Additionally, the application should employ proper error handling that does not directly reflect user input in error messages, instead using generic error templates that prevent the injection of malicious content. The remediation efforts should align with security best practices outlined in OWASP's XSS prevention guidelines and should include comprehensive testing to ensure that similar vulnerabilities do not exist in other input handling mechanisms within the framework.