CVE-2009-4857 in PHP Photo Vote1.3f
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in login.php in PHP Photo Vote 1.3F allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the page parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-4857 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the PHP Photo Vote 1.3F web application, specifically within the login.php script. This vulnerability manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize user input passed through the page parameter, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers. The flaw resides in the application's insufficient validation and output encoding mechanisms, allowing attackers to craft malicious payloads that can be executed when legitimate users interact with the vulnerable application.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the page parameter in the login.php script, where user-supplied input is directly incorporated into the application's response without adequate sanitization. This creates a persistent XSS vector that can be leveraged by remote attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the victim's browser context. The vulnerability specifically falls under CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting'), which is a fundamental web application security weakness that has been consistently identified as one of the most prevalent security flaws in web applications. The attack can be executed through various methods including reflected XSS techniques where the malicious payload is embedded in URLs or form submissions, or through stored XSS if the input is persisted in the application's database.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal user credentials, redirect victims to malicious websites, or even execute unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. In the context of a photo voting application, this vulnerability could allow attackers to manipulate voting results, inject malicious content into the application's interface, or gain unauthorized access to user accounts. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or network, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited from anywhere on the internet. According to ATT&CK framework category T1190 - Exploit Public-Facing Application, this vulnerability represents a classic example of how attackers can leverage web application flaws to compromise user sessions and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-4857 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase. The most effective remediation involves sanitizing all user-supplied input through the page parameter and other input vectors, implementing proper HTML encoding for all dynamic content, and utilizing secure coding practices that prevent the inclusion of untrusted data in executable contexts. Organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit the sources from which scripts can be loaded, employ proper parameter validation techniques, and ensure that all user input undergoes strict sanitization before being processed or displayed. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other parts of the application, as this type of flaw is often present in legacy web applications that have not been properly updated or secured against modern exploitation techniques. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against persistent threats in web applications.