CVE-2012-2903 in PHP Address Book
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in PHP Address Book 7.0 and earlier allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) PATH_INFO to group.php, or the (2) target_language or (3) target_flag parameter to translate.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/17/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2903 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within PHP Address Book version 7.0 and earlier systems. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the application's handling of user-supplied data. The flaw specifically manifests in three distinct attack vectors that collectively expose the system to remote code execution through malicious web script injection. The vulnerability affects the group.php script when processing PATH_INFO parameters and also targets translate.php through manipulation of target_language and target_flag parameters, creating multiple entry points for attackers to exploit.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates poor secure coding practices that directly violate established security standards. According to CWE classification, this represents a CWE-79: Cross-site Scripting vulnerability where the application fails to properly validate and sanitize input data before incorporating it into dynamic web content. The flaw operates by allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute within the context of other users' browsers when they access affected pages. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK framework's T1566.001 technique for Initial Access through Web Application Attack, specifically targeting the exploitation of web application vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers to perform session hijacking, deface web applications, steal sensitive user data, and potentially escalate privileges within the affected system. When an attacker successfully injects malicious code through any of the three identified vectors, they can execute arbitrary scripts in the victim's browser context, potentially leading to complete compromise of user sessions. The vulnerability affects both authenticated and unauthenticated users, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited without requiring prior access credentials. The attack requires minimal technical expertise and can be automated, making it a preferred target for mass exploitation campaigns.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-2903 must address the core root cause through comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement strict parameter validation for all user-supplied inputs, particularly those used in dynamic content generation. The recommended approach includes sanitizing all input data using appropriate encoding techniques such as HTML entity encoding before rendering any user-provided content. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Regular security patching and updating of the PHP Address Book application to versions that address these vulnerabilities is essential, as this vulnerability has been resolved in subsequent releases. The implementation of proper input validation frameworks and regular security code reviews should be mandatory practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future application versions.