CVE-2008-3069 in MyBB
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in MyBB before 1.2.13 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified parameters to (1) portal.php and (2) inc/functions_post.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/27/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-3069 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting MyBB versions prior to 1.2.13. This vulnerability resides in the forum software's handling of user input parameters within two specific script files, portal.php and inc/functions_post.php, creating a persistent security weakness that enables remote attackers to execute malicious code within the context of affected users' browsers. The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without proper validation or sanitization measures. This weakness creates a significant attack surface for malicious actors seeking to compromise user sessions or deliver malicious payloads through web-based attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the MyBB application's core components. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that are then processed through the vulnerable parameters in portal.php and inc/functions_post.php, allowing arbitrary web script or HTML code to be injected into the forum environment. The vulnerability's impact is amplified because it affects core forum functionality where user-generated content is displayed, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users interact with forum content regularly. This flaw operates at the application layer and leverages the trust relationship between the web application and its users, enabling attackers to execute code in the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-3069 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, and the delivery of malware to unsuspecting users. When users visit pages that contain the maliciously injected content, their browsers execute the embedded scripts, potentially compromising their session cookies, redirecting them to malicious sites, or installing unwanted software. The vulnerability's persistence in the forum environment means that once exploited, the malicious code can affect all users who view the compromised content, creating a potential vector for widespread compromise. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes social engineering attacks that leverage web-based vulnerabilities to deliver malicious content to targets.
Organizations utilizing MyBB forums must implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to version 1.2.13 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the XSS vulnerabilities. Additionally, administrators should implement proper input validation and output encoding measures, particularly for user-generated content that is displayed in forum environments. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script injection attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in forum content that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of regular security assessments and prompt patch management, as the vulnerability was present in versions released well before the 2008 timeframe, indicating potential gaps in security maintenance practices that organizations should address through comprehensive security governance frameworks.