CVE-2009-4694 in RadLance
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in index.php in RadScripts RadLance Gold 7.5 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the fid parameter in a view_forum action. NOTE: the provenance of this information is unknown; the details are obtained solely from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/02/2026
The vulnerability described in CVE-2009-4694 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the RadScripts RadLance Gold 7.5 web application. This security weakness exists in the index.php file and specifically affects the handling of user input through the fid parameter during view_forum actions. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of other users' browsers, creating a significant threat to web application security and user data integrity. The flaw demonstrates a failure in proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms that are fundamental to preventing XSS attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of the fid parameter before it is processed and rendered in the web application's response. When users navigate to forum views through the index.php script, the application fails to adequately escape or validate the input received via the fid parameter. This oversight creates an opening for attackers to inject malicious HTML or JavaScript code that gets executed when other users view the affected forum content. The vulnerability operates under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws, where the application does not properly validate or escape user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages. The attack vector follows the typical XSS pattern where malicious payloads are embedded in parameters and executed in the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious websites. An attacker could potentially steal session cookies, modify user permissions, or even create new user accounts with elevated privileges. The consequences are particularly severe in a forum environment where users trust the platform and may inadvertently execute malicious code when browsing to affected threads. This vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the web application and its users' data, as demonstrated by the ATT&CK framework's approach to web application attacks where XSS serves as a common initial access vector. The attack can be executed without requiring authentication or special privileges, making it particularly dangerous for public-facing web applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding practices. The most effective immediate solution involves sanitizing all user-supplied input through proper escaping mechanisms before rendering content in web pages, specifically addressing the fid parameter in the index.php script. Implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to prevent execution of unauthorized scripts. Regular security code reviews and input validation testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. The remediation process should also include updating the RadLance Gold 7.5 application to a patched version if available, or implementing web application firewalls to filter malicious requests. Organizations should also consider implementing proper logging and monitoring of user input parameters to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures for XSS-related security events.