CVE-2008-5584 in ProjectPier
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in ProjectPier 0.8 and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) a message, (2) a milestone, or (3) a display name in a profile, or the (4) a or (5) c parameter to index.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/22/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-5584 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting ProjectPier version 0.8 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the web application's input validation mechanisms, specifically within the handling of user-supplied data across multiple parameter types and input vectors. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or unauthorized actions within the application environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of user input across several attack vectors within the ProjectPier application. Attackers can exploit the vulnerability through four distinct pathways: message fields, milestone entries, profile display name parameters, and the a or c parameters within the index.php file. These vectors demonstrate a widespread failure in input validation, where user-provided content is directly embedded into web pages without proper escaping or sanitization. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is embedded into web pages viewed by other users without proper validation or escaping.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, creating a significant threat to user privacy and application integrity. When exploited, these vulnerabilities can enable attackers to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, modify page content, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that ProjectPier is a project management application that likely handles sensitive business data and user credentials. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple input points suggests a systemic lack of proper security controls rather than isolated incidents, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on this software.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-5584 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected ProjectPier versions to address the root cause of input validation failures. Organizations should implement comprehensive input sanitization measures, including proper HTML escaping of all user-supplied content before rendering in web pages. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to prevent script execution. Security teams should also consider deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads attempting to exploit these vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1190 - Exploit Public-Facing Application, highlighting the need for continuous monitoring and vulnerability management processes to prevent exploitation attempts. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their web applications to identify similar input validation weaknesses and implement proper parameter validation and output encoding mechanisms as recommended by OWASP secure coding practices.