CVE-2011-1063 in Photopad
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Cherry-Design Photopad 1.2.0 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) id or (2) data[title] parameters in an edit action to files.php, or (3) id parameter in a view action to gallery.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/09/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1063 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Cherry-Design Photopad version 1.2.0, which falls under the CWE-79 category of Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's web interface, creating persistent security gaps that enable malicious actors to execute unauthorized scripts in the context of victim browsers. The flaw manifests specifically in two distinct file processing endpoints where user-supplied parameters are directly incorporated into dynamic web content without proper sanitization measures.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through three primary attack vectors that target different application modules. The first vector involves the id parameter manipulation within the files.php script during edit operations, while the second vector targets the data[title] parameter in the same context, and the third vector exploits the id parameter in gallery.php during view operations. These attack surfaces demonstrate a common pattern of insecure data handling where user input flows directly into HTML generation without appropriate context-aware encoding or validation. Attackers can leverage these entry points to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes in the browser context of authenticated users, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized administrative actions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can compromise the entire application ecosystem. When exploited successfully, these XSS vulnerabilities enable attackers to manipulate the photopad application's user interface, potentially redirecting users to malicious sites, stealing session cookies, or modifying content displayed to other users. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the photopad application, which handles user-generated content through its gallery and file management features, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users interact with shared media collections. The attack requires minimal privileges as it targets the web application layer rather than requiring system-level access, making it accessible to attackers with basic web exploitation knowledge.
Security mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all user-supplied parameters. The recommended approach involves applying context-specific encoding techniques such as HTML entity encoding for output generation, implementing strict input validation using allowlists, and employing Content Security Policy headers to restrict script execution. Organizations should also consider implementing proper parameter validation in the files.php and gallery.php scripts, ensuring that all id and data[title] parameters undergo sanitization before being incorporated into dynamic web content. Additionally, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious web content, highlighting the importance of web application security hardening and regular security assessments to prevent exploitation of similar input validation flaws. The remediation process should include comprehensive code review to identify and address all similar parameter handling issues throughout the application, as well as implementing automated security testing tools to detect potential XSS vulnerabilities in future development cycles.