CVE-2010-0455 in PunBB
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in forum/viewtopic.php in PunBB 1.3 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the pid parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/29/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-0455 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the PunBB 1.3 forum software, specifically affecting the forum/viewtopic.php script. This issue falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security vulnerabilities. The vulnerability manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into dynamic web page content, creating an opening for malicious actors to execute arbitrary scripts within the context of other users' browsers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the pid parameter within the forum/viewtopic.php endpoint. When an attacker crafts a malicious payload and injects it into this parameter, the vulnerable application processes the input without adequate validation or sanitization measures. The pid parameter typically represents a post identifier within the forum's threading system, making it a legitimate input point that should be carefully handled. However, the lack of proper input filtering allows attackers to inject HTML tags or JavaScript code that gets rendered as part of the page content, enabling the execution of malicious scripts in the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can lead to serious security consequences for forum users and administrators. An attacker could craft payloads that steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, deface forum content, or even execute more sophisticated attacks such as credential harvesting or privilege escalation within the forum environment. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of user data, potentially allowing unauthorized access to private messages, user accounts, or administrative functions. Given that forums typically contain sensitive user information and may be used for internal communications, the exploitation of such vulnerabilities can have far-reaching implications for organizations relying on these platforms.
The attack vector for this vulnerability aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1566.001 - Phishing with Spoofed Credentials, where attackers can leverage XSS to create convincing phishing pages or manipulate forum content to deceive users. Additionally, the vulnerability demonstrates characteristics of T1213.002 - Data from Information Repositories, as it allows attackers to access and manipulate data within the forum's repository. Organizations should implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent such vulnerabilities, including the use of CSP headers, proper HTML escaping, and regular security assessments. The remediation approach involves updating to patched versions of PunBB 1.3 or implementing proper parameter sanitization in the viewtopic.php script to ensure that all user-provided input undergoes rigorous validation before being processed or displayed.