CVE-2008-6495 in yappa-ng
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in index.php in Fritz Berger yet another php photo album - next generation (yappa-ng) 2.3.2 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the album parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6495 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the yappa-ng php photo album application version 2.3.2. This particular implementation of XSS allows remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of victim browsers through improper input validation mechanisms. The vulnerability specifically targets the album parameter in the index.php file, which serves as the primary entry point for the application's functionality. The flaw stems from the application's failure to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content, creating an avenue for attackers to inject malicious payloads that can be executed by other users who view the affected pages.
This vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration classification of CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications. The attack vector leverages the application's handling of the album parameter where user input is directly reflected in the web response without adequate sanitization measures. When a user navigates to a page with a maliciously crafted album parameter, the injected script executes within the browser context of other users who subsequently access the same content. The operational impact extends beyond simple script execution as attackers can potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where users trust the application and do not scrutinize the content they view.
The exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and output encoding practices in web application security. Attackers can craft malicious URLs containing script tags or other executable code within the album parameter, which when processed by the vulnerable application gets rendered in the browser without proper sanitization. This creates a persistent threat where any user who accesses pages containing the malicious input becomes a potential victim. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001, which covers the exploitation of web applications through input validation flaws, and specifically addresses the execution of malicious code in user contexts. Organizations using this version of yappa-ng face significant risk as the vulnerability can be exploited without authentication, making it particularly dangerous in public or untrusted environments where users may encounter malicious content.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. The application should validate all user inputs against a strict whitelist of acceptable characters and lengths, while also implementing proper HTML escaping for any content that gets rendered in web pages. The fix should involve modifying the index.php file to sanitize the album parameter before processing or displaying it, ensuring that any potentially dangerous characters are neutralized or removed. Security patches should also implement Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of inline scripts and prevent unauthorized code injection. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious input patterns, while conducting regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components. The remediation process should include thorough code review of all input handling mechanisms and implementation of automated testing to prevent similar issues from reoccurring in future development cycles.