CVE-2010-5064 in Virtual War
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Virtual War (aka VWar) 1.6.1 R2 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) the Additional Information field to challenge.php, the (2) Additional Information or (3) Contact information field to joinus.php, (4) the War Report field to admin/admin.php in a finishwar action, or (5) the Nick field to profile.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-5064 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Virtual War version 1.6.1 R2, a web-based war simulation platform that facilitates multiplayer gaming environments. This vulnerability manifests across multiple entry points within the application's web interface, creating multiple attack vectors that adversaries can exploit to execute malicious scripts within the context of authenticated user sessions. The affected application components include challenge.php, joinus.php, admin/admin.php, and profile.php, each serving distinct functions within the gaming ecosystem. These files handle user input through various form fields that are subsequently rendered back to users without proper sanitization or output encoding mechanisms.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization practices within the application's codebase. Attackers can inject malicious JavaScript code or HTML content through the specified fields, which are then executed in the browsers of other users who view the affected pages. The vulnerability specifically targets the Additional Information field in challenge.php, the Additional Information and Contact information fields in joinus.php, the War Report field in admin/admin.php during finishwar actions, and the Nick field in profile.php. These fields represent critical user interaction points where unfiltered input data flows directly into the application's output rendering pipeline, creating persistent XSS opportunities that can be leveraged for session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption or display manipulation, as it provides attackers with the capability to compromise user sessions and potentially gain elevated privileges within the gaming environment. The attack surface encompasses not only individual user accounts but also administrative functions that could be exploited to modify game state, manipulate war outcomes, or access restricted administrative interfaces. This vulnerability particularly affects the integrity of user-generated content and the overall trustworthiness of the platform, as users may unknowingly execute malicious code when viewing challenge details, join requests, war reports, or user profiles. The persistence of these XSS vulnerabilities across multiple application modules indicates a systemic flaw in the application's security architecture, suggesting inadequate security testing and code review processes.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of comprehensive input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms across all user-facing application components. The recommended approach involves implementing strict validation of all user input through whitelisting techniques and employing proper HTML escaping before rendering any dynamic content. Security controls should include the implementation of Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution, the adoption of secure coding practices that prevent direct injection of user data into HTML contexts, and the deployment of Web Application Firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. Organizations should also consider implementing automatic sanitization routines for all user-generated content and establishing regular security audits to identify similar vulnerabilities across the entire application stack. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a classic example of how insecure data handling can create persistent security risks that affect multiple application modules. The attack patterns associated with this vulnerability align with ATT&CK techniques related to command and control through web-based attacks and session hijacking, emphasizing the need for comprehensive application security measures beyond simple patching approaches.