CVE-2012-5315 in php ireport
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in php ireport 1.0 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the message parameter to (1) messages_viewer.php, (2) home.php, or (3) history.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/01/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-5315 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting php ireport version 1.0, a web-based reporting application that facilitates the creation and management of reports. This vulnerability resides in the application's handling of user input within specific script files, creating an exploitable condition that allows remote attackers to execute malicious code within the context of a victim's browser session. The affected endpoints include messages_viewer.php, home.php, and history.php, which collectively process user-supplied data through the message parameter without adequate sanitization or validation mechanisms. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which defines cross-site scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding, creating opportunities for attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the victim's browser.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious input containing HTML or JavaScript code and submits it through the message parameter to any of the three vulnerable files. Upon successful exploitation, the malicious code becomes persistent within the application's output, executing whenever a victim accesses the affected page. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, redirect victims to malicious websites, or even establish persistent backdoors within the application. The vulnerability's remote nature means attackers do not require physical access to the system or any privileged credentials to exploit it, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that serve a broad user base. The flaw represents a classic case of insufficient input validation where the application fails to properly escape or sanitize user-provided content before rendering it within the web page context.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on php ireport for their reporting needs, particularly those handling sensitive data or serving users with varying levels of trust. The exploitation could lead to unauthorized data access, privilege escalation, or complete compromise of user sessions within the application environment. Security teams must consider the potential for cascading effects, as successful exploitation could provide attackers with a foothold to target other systems within the network or escalate privileges to gain administrative access to the reporting application. The vulnerability also impacts user trust and application integrity, as users may unknowingly execute malicious code when viewing reports or messages within the application. Organizations using this software face potential regulatory compliance issues and liability concerns should security incidents occur as a result of this vulnerability, particularly in environments governed by standards such as pci dss or hipaa where data protection is paramount.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-5315 should focus on immediate patching of the affected php ireport version 1.0, as this represents the most effective solution to address the root cause of the vulnerability. Organizations should implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application, ensuring that all user-supplied data is sanitized before being processed or displayed. The implementation of content security policies and proper header configurations can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to prevent script execution in the browser context. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the application's codebase, while application firewalls or web application firewalls can provide additional monitoring and protection against similar attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing user input sanitization libraries and following secure coding practices such as those recommended in the owasp top ten and mitre attack framework, which emphasize the importance of proper data validation and output encoding to prevent injection vulnerabilities. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-79 and potential mapping to attack techniques in the mitre attack framework underscores the need for comprehensive security measures that address both the immediate threat and prevent similar issues from emerging in other parts of the application infrastructure.