CVE-2008-3786 in Photo Cart
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in index.php in PICTURESPRO Photo Cart 3.9 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the qtitle parameter (aka "Gallery or event name" field) in a search action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/17/2025
The CVE-2008-3786 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in PICTURESPRO Photo Cart version 3.9 that exposes web applications to malicious code injection attacks. This vulnerability specifically targets the index.php script and exploits the qtitle parameter, which serves as the Gallery or event name field during search operations. The flaw arises from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's search functionality, creating an avenue for remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code in the context of victims' browsers.
This vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration CWE-79 category, which classifies it as a classic cross-site scripting weakness where untrusted data flows from user input into web pages without proper sanitization. The qtitle parameter in the search action becomes the attack vector when malicious input is submitted, allowing attackers to craft payloads that execute in the victim's browser session. The vulnerability's exploitation occurs through the web application's failure to properly encode or escape user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamic web page content, creating a persistent security gap that can be leveraged for session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to manipulate the application's behavior and potentially compromise user sessions. When victims perform search operations using maliciously crafted gallery names, the injected scripts execute within their browser context, potentially accessing session cookies, modifying page content, or redirecting users to phishing sites. The vulnerability affects the application's core search functionality, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered by any user interaction with the search feature. This creates a scalable attack surface where multiple users could be compromised simultaneously through a single malicious input.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-3786 require immediate implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase. The primary remediation involves sanitizing all user inputs, particularly those used in dynamic content generation, through comprehensive validation routines that reject or encode potentially malicious characters. Applications should implement strict input filtering that removes or encodes special characters such as angle brackets, quotes, and script tags before processing user data. Additionally, the implementation of Content Security Policy headers and proper output encoding techniques like HTML entity encoding for dynamic content insertion can significantly reduce the attack surface. Security practitioners should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious input patterns, while regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers scripting through command-line interface, as attackers can leverage the XSS flaw to execute malicious scripts within victim sessions, potentially escalating privileges or accessing sensitive application data through browser-based attacks.