CVE-2008-3565 in MRBS
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Meeting Room Booking System (MRBS) 1.2.6 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the area parameter to (1) day.php, (2) week.php, (3) month.php, (4) search.php, (5) report.php, and (6) help.php. 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 • 08/04/2025
The CVE-2008-3565 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the Meeting Room Booking System version 1.2.6, a web-based application designed for managing meeting room reservations. This vulnerability exists within the application's input validation mechanisms, specifically failing to properly sanitize user-supplied data when processing the area parameter. The flaw affects multiple core application pages including day.php, week.php, month.php, search.php, report.php, and help.php, indicating a systemic issue in how the system handles user input across its entire interface. The vulnerability's classification as a client-side attack vector means that malicious actors can exploit this weakness to execute arbitrary scripts within the context of a victim's browser session, potentially compromising user security and data integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's insufficient sanitization of the area parameter, which is processed without proper validation or encoding of special characters. When users submit data through the area field, the system fails to implement adequate input filtering or output encoding mechanisms, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads that persist in the application's response. This type of vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security. The flaw enables attackers to craft malicious URLs or form submissions containing script tags, JavaScript code, or HTML elements that execute when other users view the affected pages, creating a persistent threat that can affect all users of the booking system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption or display issues, as it provides attackers with a foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the application environment. An attacker could potentially redirect users to malicious websites, steal session cookies, or even perform actions on behalf of authenticated users through the exploitation of this XSS vulnerability. The broad scope of affected files means that the attack surface is extensive, covering core functionality areas including calendar views, search capabilities, reporting features, and help documentation. This vulnerability undermines the trust model of the application and could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive meeting room data, scheduling conflicts, or even complete compromise of user sessions. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no privileged access or complex exploitation techniques, making it accessible to threat actors with basic web security knowledge.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied input, particularly the area parameter, by implementing proper HTML entity encoding before rendering content in web pages. This aligns with the defensive programming principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and follows the established mitigation strategies for XSS vulnerabilities. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be executed within the application context. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be conducted to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future versions. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices and adherence to web application security standards, particularly in legacy systems that may not have been updated with modern security considerations. Organizations should prioritize patching this vulnerability immediately and consider implementing web application firewalls as additional protective measures while ensuring proper security training for developers to prevent similar issues in future development cycles.