CVE-2014-7265 in LinPHA
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in LinPHA allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/03/2018
The CVE-2014-7265 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in LinPHA, a popular PHP-based photo gallery application that was widely used in web environments. This vulnerability falls under the category of client-side attacks that exploit the trust relationship between web applications and user browsers, allowing malicious actors to execute unauthorized scripts in the context of other users' sessions. The vulnerability specifically affects the application's handling of user input data, creating a pathway for remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML code that would be executed by unsuspecting users who view the affected content. The unspecified vectors indicate that the attack could potentially occur through multiple entry points within the application's user interface or data processing mechanisms.
Technical exploitation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within LinPHA's codebase, where user-supplied data is not properly sanitized before being rendered in web pages. The flaw creates an environment where attacker-controlled content can be seamlessly integrated into legitimate application output, bypassing standard security measures designed to prevent such injections. This type of vulnerability typically occurs when applications fail to implement proper context-aware encoding or filtering mechanisms, leaving them susceptible to script injection attacks that can compromise user sessions, steal sensitive information, or redirect users to malicious websites. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications, where improper handling of untrusted data creates opportunities for malicious code execution.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-7265 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or even execute more sophisticated attacks such as credential theft or data exfiltration. When exploited successfully, this vulnerability allows attackers to impersonate legitimate users and gain unauthorized access to sensitive functionality within the photo gallery system. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation can occur from any location without requiring physical access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that store user data or provide administrative capabilities. Organizations using vulnerable versions of LinPHA face significant risks including potential data breaches, reputational damage, and compliance violations, especially in environments where user privacy and data protection are critical concerns.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should encompass multiple layers of defense including immediate patching of affected LinPHA installations to address the underlying input validation flaws. Organizations should implement comprehensive output encoding mechanisms that properly escape special characters in user-generated content before rendering it in web pages, following the principle of least privilege and context-appropriate sanitization. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded and executed within the application environment. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the application stack, with particular attention to areas where user input is processed and displayed. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious activity patterns associated with XSS attack vectors, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter execution. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of secure coding practices and the necessity of maintaining up-to-date security measures in web applications to prevent such persistent threats from compromising user safety and data integrity.