CVE-2009-3601 in Ultimate Poll
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in demo_page.php in Scriptsez Ultimate Poll allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the clr parameter in a vote action.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/18/2025
The CVE-2009-3601 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw in the Scriptsez Ultimate Poll web application, specifically within the demo_page.php component. This vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and sanitization of user-supplied data, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers. The flaw manifests when the clr parameter in a vote action is manipulated, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads that can be executed by unsuspecting victims who view the affected page. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize user input, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security architecture. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it operates through legitimate user interactions with the voting functionality, making it difficult to distinguish between benign and malicious requests without proper validation mechanisms.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing crafted clr parameter values that include script tags or other HTML elements. When a victim clicks on such a link or when the application processes the malicious vote action, the injected script executes in the victim's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input handling practices where user-provided color parameters are directly incorporated into the page output without proper sanitization or encoding. This weakness aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, specifically targeting web-based scripting environments. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in a polling context because it can be leveraged to manipulate poll results or spread malicious code across multiple users who interact with the demo page.
The operational impact of CVE-2009-3601 extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks such as credential harvesting, session manipulation, or data exfiltration. An attacker could craft payloads that steal cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or even inject malware through browser-based exploits. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of user data, as well as the overall trustworthiness of the web application. The attack can be executed remotely without requiring any special privileges or access to the server infrastructure, making it particularly dangerous for publicly accessible web applications. Organizations using Scriptsez Ultimate Poll would face reputational damage and potential regulatory compliance issues if such vulnerabilities are exploited, as they represent a failure to implement basic security controls. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of proper security testing and input validation in web applications, as similar flaws have been consistently identified across numerous web frameworks and applications over the years.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-3601 should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The primary defense involves sanitizing all user-provided input, particularly parameters like clr, by removing or encoding potentially dangerous characters such as angle brackets, script tags, and other HTML elements. Organizations should implement proper HTML escaping when rendering user data in web pages, ensuring that any special characters are properly encoded to prevent interpretation as active code. The application should also employ Content Security Policy headers to limit the sources from which scripts can be loaded, providing an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks. Regular security testing including dynamic application security testing and manual code review should be implemented to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components. The fix should involve modifying the demo_page.php script to validate the clr parameter against a whitelist of acceptable values or to properly encode all output before rendering. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of secure coding practices and the necessity of implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against common web application vulnerabilities.