CVE-2008-6435 in phpSQLiteCMS
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in phpSQLiteCMS 1 RC2 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) lang[home], (2) lang[admin_menu], and (3) lang[admin_menu_page_overview] parameters to cms/includes/header.inc.php; and the (4) lang[login_username] and (5) lang[login_password] parameters to cms/includes/login.inc.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/17/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6435 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting phpSQLiteCMS version 1 RC2, a content management system built on PHP and SQLite database technology. This vulnerability resides within the application's handling of language parameters during header and login processes, creating multiple attack vectors that enable remote threat actors to execute malicious scripts within the context of affected user sessions. The flaw specifically targets the cms/includes/header.inc.php and cms/includes/login.inc.php files, making it particularly dangerous as it can compromise both administrative and user interface components of the system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the phpSQLiteCMS framework. When the application processes the lang[home], lang[admin_menu], lang[admin_menu_page_overview], lang[login_username], and lang[login_password] parameters, it fails to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before incorporating it into HTML responses. This insufficient sanitization allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code or HTML content that gets executed when legitimate users view affected pages. The vulnerability manifests as a classic reflected XSS attack where malicious payloads are embedded in URL parameters or form submissions and executed in the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive authentication credentials, and potentially escalate privileges within the CMS environment. An attacker could craft malicious URLs containing script payloads that, when clicked by an administrator or authenticated user, would execute in their browser context. This could lead to complete compromise of the CMS, allowing unauthorized modifications to content, user management, or even system-level access depending on the administrative privileges of the targeted user. The vulnerability affects the core authentication and navigation components of the system, making it particularly attractive to attackers seeking persistent access.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate input validation and output encoding of all user-supplied parameters within the affected PHP files. The implementation of proper HTML entity encoding for all dynamic content, combined with input sanitization routines that strip or escape potentially dangerous characters, would effectively prevent XSS exploitation. Organizations should also implement Content Security Policy headers to add an additional layer of protection against script execution. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566 for initial access through malicious web content. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future development cycles. Updates to the phpSQLiteCMS framework or migration to more secure CMS platforms should be considered as permanent remediation measures to address this and related vulnerabilities effectively.