CVE-2010-1711 in Siestta
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in carga_foto_al.php in Siestta 2.0, when register_globals is enabled, allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the usuario parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/22/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-1711 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw in the Siestta 2.0 web application, specifically within the carga_foto_al.php component. This issue manifests when the PHP configuration parameter register_globals is enabled, creating a dangerous condition where user-supplied input becomes directly accessible through global variables without proper sanitization. The vulnerability resides in the usuario parameter handling, which fails to validate or escape input before incorporating it into dynamic web content, thereby enabling malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a well-established XSS attack pattern that aligns with CWE-79, which catalogs cross-site scripting weaknesses as a fundamental web application security flaw. When register_globals is enabled, the application implicitly trusts user input and makes it available through global variable scope, eliminating the need for explicit variable assignment. This configuration creates a direct pathway for attackers to manipulate application behavior by injecting malicious payloads through the usuario parameter, which then gets rendered in web pages without proper output encoding or validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, deface web pages, steal sensitive information, or redirect users to malicious sites. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it leverages a deprecated PHP configuration setting that was commonly enabled in older web applications, making it a potential vector for exploitation in legacy systems. Attackers can craft malicious URLs containing script tags or JavaScript code within the usuario parameter, which when processed by the vulnerable application, executes in the context of other users' browsers, effectively compromising their sessions and potentially leading to full system compromise.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention to both the application code and server configuration. The primary remediation involves disabling the register_globals directive in PHP configuration, which eliminates the root cause of the vulnerability by preventing automatic creation of global variables from user input. Additionally, comprehensive input validation and output encoding should be implemented throughout the application, particularly for all parameters that may be rendered in web contexts. The application code must be updated to explicitly sanitize all user-supplied input using proper encoding functions such as htmlspecialchars() or similar mechanisms that prevent script execution in HTML contexts. Security practitioners should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers as an additional defense layer, while monitoring for any attempts to re-enable register_globals or other deprecated PHP configurations that may reintroduce similar vulnerabilities. This remediation approach aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which addresses exploitation of web application vulnerabilities through input validation and output encoding controls.