CVE-2010-4366 in Chameleon Social Networking
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in forum_new_topic.php in Chameleon Social Networking allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) thread_title and (2) thread_description parameters in a message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/09/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-4366 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Chameleon Social Networking platform's forum_new_topic.php component. This vulnerability exposes the system to remote code execution risks through user input manipulation, specifically targeting the thread_title and thread_description parameters that are processed within the message handling functionality. The flaw allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content directly into the forum's topic creation interface, potentially compromising user sessions and data integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization mechanisms within the forum_new_topic.php script. When users submit new forum topics, the application fails to properly escape or filter special characters in the thread_title and thread_description fields before rendering them in the web page output. This omission creates an opening for attackers to embed malicious JavaScript code or HTML payloads that execute in the context of other users' browsers when they view the affected forum topics. The vulnerability manifests as a classic reflected XSS attack vector, where malicious content is reflected back to users through the vulnerable application interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling sophisticated attack chains that can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, and unauthorized access to user accounts. Attackers can craft malicious topic titles and descriptions that, when viewed by other users, execute scripts that steal cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. This threat model aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting vulnerabilities as weaknesses in input validation and output encoding. The vulnerability's exploitation can result in persistent compromise of user sessions, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within the social networking platform's user base.
Organizations utilizing Chameleon Social Networking should implement immediate mitigations including comprehensive input validation, output encoding, and the implementation of Content Security Policy headers to restrict script execution. The recommended defensive measures include sanitizing all user-provided input through proper HTML escaping techniques, implementing strict validation rules for forum topic parameters, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. Additionally, security patches should be applied to address the root cause of the vulnerability, ensuring that all user-generated content is properly sanitized before being rendered in the browser context. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining robust input validation practices and adheres to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script injection, highlighting the need for comprehensive security controls in web application development and maintenance processes.