CVE-2014-5276 in Text Chat Rooms
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Pro Chat Rooms Text Chat Rooms 8.2.0 allow remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) an uploaded profile picture or (2) the edit parameter to profiles/index.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/16/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5276 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in Pro Chat Rooms Text Chat Rooms version 8.2.0, exposing the application to persistent security risks through multiple attack vectors. This vulnerability affects the authentication and authorization mechanisms of the platform, allowing malicious users with valid credentials to exploit the system's input validation weaknesses. The flaw manifests in two distinct pathways that demonstrate the application's insufficient sanitization of user-provided content, creating opportunities for attackers to execute arbitrary scripts within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability specifically targets the profile management functionality, where user-uploaded content and parameter handling create exploitable entry points for malicious code injection.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices within the application's profile handling modules. When authenticated users upload profile pictures or modify their profiles through the edit parameter in profiles/index.php, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages. This weakness directly maps to CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting vulnerabilities resulting from insufficient validation of user-supplied input. The vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code, HTML tags, or other script-based content that executes in the browsers of other users who view the compromised profile information. The attack requires only authenticated access, significantly reducing the barrier to exploitation compared to unauthenticated XSS vulnerabilities, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which focuses on credential access through social engineering and web application attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, manipulate data within the application, and perform actions on behalf of legitimate users. The compromised profiles could serve as persistent attack vectors, allowing malicious actors to maintain access to the system over extended periods. Attackers could leverage these vulnerabilities to create phishing pages, steal cookies and session tokens, redirect users to malicious sites, or even establish backdoors within the chat application. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of user profile management, which is fundamental to the application's social features and user engagement mechanisms, making it particularly dangerous for platforms that rely heavily on user-generated content and social interaction features.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-5276 should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation, output encoding, and proper content sanitization mechanisms throughout the application's profile handling components. The most effective remediation involves implementing strict validation of all user-uploaded content, including image files, and ensuring that all profile parameters are properly escaped before rendering in web contexts. Organizations should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution, employ proper HTML escaping techniques, and conduct thorough input sanitization using established libraries or frameworks. The fix should include updating the profiles/index.php script to validate file uploads and sanitize all parameters before processing, with particular attention to the edit parameter handling. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and monitoring user activities could help detect and prevent exploitation attempts, while regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, following the principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST Cybersecurity Framework guidelines for web application security.