CVE-2012-1912 in PHP Address Book
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in preferences.php in PHP Address Book 7.0 and earlier allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the from parameter. NOTE: the index.php vector is already covered by CVE-2008-2566.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/17/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-1912 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the PHP Address Book application version 7.0 and earlier. This security weakness specifically targets the preferences.php script which fails to properly sanitize user input before processing. The vulnerability manifests when the from parameter is manipulated by an attacker, allowing malicious code injection that can execute within the context of other users' browsers. The issue falls under the broader category of CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a fundamental weakness in web application security.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices within the PHP Address Book's preference handling mechanism. When the application processes the from parameter without proper sanitization, it directly incorporates user-supplied data into dynamically generated web content. This creates an environment where attackers can inject malicious scripts that persist in the application's response, potentially executing in the browsers of unsuspecting users who access the affected page. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through HTTP requests that contain malicious payloads in the specified parameter.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform a range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration. An attacker could craft a payload that, when executed in a victim's browser, redirects them to a malicious site or steals cookies containing session information. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the preferences handling functionality, which is a core component of the application's user management system. This means that successful exploitation could potentially compromise user accounts and allow unauthorized access to personal address book data. The attack vector is straightforward requiring only an HTTP request with malicious input to the from parameter, making it accessible to attackers with minimal technical expertise.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in relation to the broader ATT&CK framework, particularly under the T1531 - Account Access Removal and T1071.1 - Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols categories. The vulnerability aligns with the principle of least privilege violations where user input is not properly validated. Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of the PHP Address Book application to version 7.1 or later where this vulnerability has been addressed. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms, such as using PHP's htmlspecialchars function to escape special characters, would prevent similar issues in the future. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies to add an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining up-to-date software and implementing robust input validation practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten security principles. Regular security assessments and code reviews focusing on user input handling would help identify and remediate similar weaknesses before they can be exploited by threat actors.