CVE-2009-4690 in Programs Rating Script
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in YourFreeWorld Programs Rating Script allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the id parameter to (1) rate.php and (2) postcomments.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/02/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-4690 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the YourFreeWorld Programs Rating Script, specifically affecting two core components of the application. This weakness resides in the improper handling of user-supplied input parameters, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute unauthorized code within the context of victim browsers. The vulnerability manifests through the id parameter which is processed by both rate.php and postcomments.php scripts, making it particularly dangerous as it affects multiple entry points within the application's functionality. Such flaws fall under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security weakness that has been consistently identified as one of the top ten web application security risks by the OWASP project.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious input containing script code within the id parameter and submits it to either of the affected scripts. The application fails to properly sanitize or encode this input before incorporating it into dynamic web pages, allowing the malicious code to execute when other users view the affected content. This type of vulnerability enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, defacement of web pages, redirection to malicious sites, and data theft from authenticated users. The impact is particularly severe because the affected scripts are likely involved in user interaction and rating functionalities, meaning that any user who views the compromised content or submits comments could be exposed to the malicious payload. The vulnerability's presence in both rate.php and postcomments.php indicates a systemic issue in the application's input validation mechanisms rather than isolated code flaws.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for organizations deploying the YourFreeWorld Programs Rating Script, as it can lead to unauthorized access to user sessions, data breaches, and potential compromise of the entire web application. The attack vector is relatively simple to exploit, requiring only basic knowledge of web application security concepts and the ability to construct malicious payloads that can be injected through the id parameter. The vulnerability can be exploited through various methods including direct injection, reflected XSS techniques, and potentially persistent XSS if the malicious code is stored and later served to other users. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under the T1059.007 technique for Scripting, specifically targeting web applications through input validation flaws. Organizations using this script face potential reputational damage, regulatory compliance issues, and legal liability if user data is compromised through such vulnerabilities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-4690 should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied input parameters, particularly those used in dynamic content generation, through proper encoding techniques such as HTML entity encoding and JavaScript escaping. The application should implement strict validation of the id parameter to ensure it conforms to expected formats and reject any input containing potentially dangerous characters or script tags. Additionally, organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of inline scripts and restrict the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar input validation weaknesses in other parts of the application. The implementation of web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing proper error handling that does not expose internal application details and ensure that all user interactions are properly authenticated and authorized to prevent abuse of the rating and commenting functionality. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of input validation in web applications and the need for comprehensive security testing throughout the software development lifecycle.