CVE-2008-6565 in IP.Board
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Invision Power Board 2.3.1 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via an IFRAME tag in the signature.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/19/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6565 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Invision Power Board versions 2.3.1 and earlier, specifically targeting the user signature functionality. This issue stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly filter malicious content submitted through user profiles. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code by embedding IFRAME tags within user signatures, creating a persistent vector for malicious payload delivery across the entire forum platform.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of user-generated content fields, particularly the signature section where users can input formatted text. When the forum renders these signatures for display, the improperly sanitized IFRAME tags are executed within the context of other users' browsers, enabling attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious websites. This represents a classic stored XSS vulnerability where the malicious payload is permanently stored on the server and executed whenever affected pages are accessed.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of the entire Invision Power Board installation. Users who view affected signatures become unwitting participants in the attack vector, potentially exposing their session cookies, personal information, or redirecting them to phishing sites. The vulnerability affects all forum users who encounter malicious signatures, creating a widespread risk that can escalate to full account compromise or unauthorized administrative access depending on the privileges of the targeted users. The persistent nature of stored XSS makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can remain active for extended periods without detection.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which defines cross-site scripting flaws as weaknesses in input validation and output encoding. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this under T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as attackers can use this vulnerability to deliver malicious payloads through seemingly legitimate user-generated content. The vulnerability also relates to T1071.004 - Application Layer Protocol: DNS, as malicious IFRAME content can potentially leverage DNS tunneling or other network protocols to exfiltrate data. Organizations should implement comprehensive input sanitization measures, including HTML entity encoding, strict content type validation, and regular security audits of user-generated content fields to prevent exploitation. The recommended mitigation includes immediate patching to version 2.3.2 or later, implementing robust content security policies, and establishing automated monitoring for suspicious signature content to detect potential exploitation attempts.