CVE-2012-3831 in decoda
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in decoda/templates/video.php in Decoda before 3.3.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via multiple URLs in an img tag.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2025
The CVE-2012-3831 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the Decoda library version prior to 3.3.1. This vulnerability specifically affects the video.php template file within the decoda/templates directory structure, making it a targeted issue within the library's rendering components. The flaw exists in how the system processes and sanitizes user input, particularly when handling multimedia content embedded through img tags in multiple URL contexts. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws identified by the CWE database. The vulnerability enables remote attackers to inject malicious scripts or HTML content directly into web pages viewed by other users, creating a significant risk for any application utilizing the affected Decoda library version.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious URLs containing img tags with embedded script content that bypasses the library's input validation mechanisms. The vulnerability specifically affects the video.php template processing logic where user-supplied URLs are rendered without proper sanitization of potentially malicious content within img tag attributes. This processing flaw allows attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code that executes in the context of other users' browsers when they view pages containing the malicious content. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic XSS pattern where untrusted data flows directly into the application's output without appropriate encoding or validation, creating an execution environment for malicious payloads. The impact is amplified by the fact that this vulnerability affects the template rendering system, meaning that any application using Decoda for content processing could be compromised through this vector.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-3831 extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, defacement of web pages, and redirection to malicious sites. When exploited, this vulnerability can enable attackers to steal user credentials, manipulate application data, or gain unauthorized access to user accounts within the affected applications. The vulnerability's presence in the video template processing system means that any application that allows user-generated content with embedded multimedia links could become a vector for widespread exploitation. Applications using Decoda for forum posts, user-generated content management, or any system that processes user-supplied URLs for media embedding are at risk. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to create persistent XSS payloads that can affect all users of the affected applications, making it particularly dangerous for web applications with significant user interaction components.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of the Decoda library to version 3.3.1 or later, which contains the necessary input sanitization fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms for all user-supplied content, particularly when processing multimedia URLs. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth against exploitation attempts, while proper HTML escaping should be enforced for all dynamic content. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious URL patterns that may attempt to exploit this vulnerability. Additionally, regular security assessments of third-party libraries and components should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by attackers. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date third-party libraries and implementing robust security practices in web application development. Organizations should also consider implementing automated vulnerability scanning and dependency monitoring to prevent similar issues from arising in the future.