CVE-2008-2965 in JaxUltraBB
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in viewforum.php in JaxUltraBB (JUBB) 2.0 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the forum parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/29/2024
The CVE-2008-2965 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in JaxUltraBB version 2.0 and earlier, specifically within the viewforum.php script. This vulnerability exposes the application to remote code execution risks where malicious actors can inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content through the forum parameter. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before rendering it within the web application's response. This allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that execute in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the affected system.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws as weaknesses in input validation and output encoding. The vulnerability operates by bypassing the application's security controls that should prevent untrusted data from being executed as code within the browser environment. Attackers can construct malicious URLs containing script tags or other HTML elements that get processed by the vulnerable viewforum.php script, causing the injected content to execute when other users browse to the affected forum sections. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK technique T1566.001, specifically targeting credential access through malicious web content delivery.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-2965 extends beyond simple data theft, as it enables attackers to manipulate the user experience and potentially escalate privileges within the application. When users navigate to forums containing malicious payloads, their browsers execute the injected scripts, which could redirect them to phishing sites, steal session cookies, or modify content displayed to other users. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the entire forum platform, as it allows attackers to compromise user sessions and potentially gain administrative access if they can manipulate forum parameters that control access levels. Organizations using vulnerable versions of JaxUltraBB face significant risks including data breaches, reputational damage, and potential regulatory penalties due to inadequate security controls.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding practices throughout the application. The most effective remediation involves sanitizing all user-supplied input through proper escaping mechanisms before processing or displaying content, specifically implementing HTML entity encoding for output rendered to browsers. Additionally, developers should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution contexts and prevent unauthorized code injection. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the application codebase. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of keeping software components updated, as newer versions of JaxUltraBB would likely address these security gaps through proper implementation of secure coding practices and input sanitization measures. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious requests targeting known XSS patterns, while establishing comprehensive monitoring systems to identify unauthorized access attempts or suspicious user behavior patterns.