CVE-2008-3758 in Vanilla
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Lussumo Vanilla 1.1.4 and earlier (1) allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the NewPassword parameter to people.php, and allow remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (2) Account picture and (3) Icon fields in account.php. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/10/2025
The CVE-2008-3758 vulnerability affects Lussumo Vanilla versions 1.1.4 and earlier, exposing multiple cross-site scripting flaws that enable attackers to execute malicious code within user browsers. This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in web application input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The vulnerability impacts both unauthenticated and authenticated users, creating a broad attack surface that can compromise user sessions and data integrity. The affected components include the people.php script and account.php script, which process user input without proper sanitization, making them prime targets for malicious exploitation. These vulnerabilities fall under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically targeting the injection of malicious scripts through user-controllable input fields.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices within the Vanilla forum software. Attackers can exploit the NewPassword parameter in people.php to inject malicious scripts that execute when other users view the password reset page. Similarly, authenticated users can manipulate the Account picture and Icon fields in account.php to inject HTML content that persists in the application's user interface. The vulnerability occurs because the application fails to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages, allowing attackers to inject script tags or other malicious content. This flaw directly violates security principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten, specifically the XSS category that ranks among the most critical web application vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-3758 extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration. When authenticated users encounter malicious content in account fields, their browser sessions may be compromised, allowing attackers to impersonate legitimate users and access sensitive information. The vulnerability's persistence in the application's user interface means that malicious scripts can affect multiple users over time, creating a sustained threat vector. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to redirect users to phishing sites, steal cookies, or perform unauthorized actions within the application. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it affects both registration and account management functionality, providing multiple entry points for exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-3758 require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding measures. Organizations should implement strict sanitization of all user input fields, particularly those used for account management and profile information. The application should employ context-specific output encoding to prevent script execution when rendering user-supplied content. Security patches should be applied immediately to upgrade to versions of Vanilla that address these vulnerabilities, as the affected software versions are no longer supported. Implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script injection attacks, while regular security testing and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059.007 for Scripting and T1566.001 for Phishing, highlighting the need for both defensive measures and user awareness training to prevent exploitation.