CVE-2008-5399 in mvnForum
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the listonlineusers (aka "Who s online") component in mvnForum before 1.2.1 GA allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2018
The CVE-2008-5399 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the mvnForum software ecosystem, specifically affecting versions prior to 1.2.1 GA. This vulnerability resides in the listonlineusers component commonly referred to as the "Who's online" feature, which is designed to display active users within a forum environment. The vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers, potentially compromising the entire user session and data integrity. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the forum's user listing functionality, creating an attack surface where malicious payloads can be injected through unspecified parameters.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when the mvnForum application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input data before rendering it within the web interface. This weakness allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that get executed in the browsers of other forum users who view the affected page. The vulnerability is classified as a classic XSS attack vector where the malicious code executes in the victim's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The unspecified parameters suggest that multiple input points within the listonlineusers component may be susceptible to injection attacks, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as attackers can target various input fields without specific knowledge of the exact parameter names.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-5399 extends beyond simple script execution, as it fundamentally undermines the security posture of forum environments that rely on user-generated content and real-time user presence indicators. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to deface forum pages, steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or even execute more sophisticated attacks such as credential harvesting. The vulnerability particularly affects collaborative environments where user trust and session integrity are paramount, as compromised users can be manipulated into performing unauthorized actions within the forum system. This represents a significant concern for organizations using mvnForum for community engagement, as the attack can propagate through the user base without requiring any special privileges or direct system access.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability involve implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the mvnForum application. The most effective approach requires sanitizing all user-supplied data before rendering it in the web interface, particularly within the listonlineusers component. Organizations should ensure that all parameters are properly validated against expected data types and lengths, while implementing proper HTML encoding for dynamic content. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a clear violation of secure coding practices that should be addressed through defensive programming techniques. Additionally, the remediation should include updating to mvnForum version 1.2.1 GA or later, where the XSS vulnerability has been patched and input validation has been strengthened. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566.001 (Phishing via Social Media) and T1531 (Account Access Removal), as it enables attackers to compromise user sessions and potentially escalate privileges within the forum environment. Organizations should also implement Content Security Policy headers to provide additional defense-in-depth against XSS attacks, while conducting regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the forum system.