CVE-2010-4783 in Easy Banner Free
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in index.php in PHP Web Scripts Easy Banner Free 2009.05.18, when magic_quotes_gpc is disabled, allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) siteurl and (2) urlbanner parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-4783 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the Easy Banner Free PHP script version 2009.05.18. This vulnerability specifically affects the index.php file and demonstrates a classic input validation failure that enables malicious actors to execute arbitrary code within the context of users' browsers. The flaw occurs when the PHP configuration parameter magic_quotes_gpc is disabled, which removes the automatic escaping of special characters in GET, POST, and COOKIE data. This configuration setting serves as a fundamental security mechanism that protects against injection attacks by automatically escaping single quotes, double quotes, and backslashes in user-supplied input. When disabled, the application becomes vulnerable to malicious input manipulation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves two distinct parameter injection points within the siteurl and urlbanner parameters of the index.php script. Attackers can exploit these parameters by crafting malicious payloads that contain HTML or JavaScript code, which then gets executed when the vulnerable page is rendered in a user's browser. The vulnerability operates under CWE-79 which classifies it as a Cross-Site Scripting weakness, specifically categorized as a reflected XSS attack where the malicious script is reflected off the web server back to the user. This type of attack falls under the ATT&CK framework's technique T1566.001 which describes the use of malicious content in web applications to compromise user sessions and execute unauthorized commands.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the ability to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive cookies, perform actions on behalf of authenticated users, and potentially redirect victims to malicious websites. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires minimal prerequisites for exploitation, only needing a target system with magic_quotes_gpc disabled. This configuration is often found in development environments or poorly configured production systems where security best practices are not properly implemented. The reflected nature of the attack means that victims must be tricked into clicking malicious links that contain the exploit payload, making it a prime candidate for social engineering campaigns. Organizations using this vulnerable software face significant risks including data theft, session hijacking, and potential lateral movement within their networks through compromised user credentials.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-4783 require immediate attention to address the root cause and prevent exploitation. The primary remediation involves either enabling magic_quotes_gpc in the PHP configuration or implementing proper input sanitization and output encoding techniques throughout the application. Security professionals should enforce strict input validation by filtering and sanitizing all user-supplied data before processing, implementing proper HTML entity encoding for dynamic content, and utilizing parameterized queries to prevent injection attacks. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts and deploy web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining current security configurations and regularly auditing PHP application security settings to prevent similar issues in other components of the web infrastructure. Regular security updates and patch management procedures should be implemented to ensure that known vulnerabilities are addressed promptly, as this particular vulnerability has been widely known and patched for over a decade.