CVE-2009-2172 in Radio
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in forum/radioandtv.php in the Radio and TV Player addon for vBulletin allows remote registered users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the station parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-2172 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Radio and TV Player addon for vBulletin platforms. This security weakness specifically affects the forum/radioandtv.php script where user input is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered back to web browsers. The vulnerability manifests when remote registered users can manipulate the station parameter through HTTP requests, injecting malicious web scripts or HTML code that executes in the context of other users' browsers.
This XSS vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration classification of CWE-79 which specifically addresses improper neutralization of input during web page generation. The flaw allows attackers to bypass standard security measures by exploiting the addon's failure to implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it only requires registered user privileges, meaning that malicious actors who have already gained access to a legitimate account can exploit this weakness to compromise other users within the same vBulletin community.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of victims, or redirect users to malicious websites. The vulnerability affects the entire vBulletin ecosystem where the Radio and TV Player addon is installed, making it a significant risk to forum administrators and their user communities. Given that vBulletin platforms host sensitive discussions and user data, this XSS vulnerability could lead to widespread compromise of user accounts and potential data exfiltration.
Security practitioners should recognize this vulnerability as a prime example of how third-party addons can introduce critical security gaps into established platforms. The attack surface is particularly broad since the vulnerability affects all users who have access to the radio and tv player functionality, potentially allowing for mass exploitation across multiple forum instances. Mitigation strategies should include immediate input validation implementation, proper output encoding of all user-supplied data, and comprehensive security reviews of all addon components. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing content security policies and regular security assessments to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in their web applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a web application vulnerability that can be leveraged for privilege escalation and persistent access through user session hijacking techniques.