CVE-2015-5399 in PHPVibe
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in PHPVibe before 4.21 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a comment.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/31/2025
The CVE-2015-5399 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the PHPVibe content management system prior to version 4.21. This vulnerability specifically affects the comment handling functionality within the platform, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on this media sharing and social networking solution. The flaw enables authenticated users to inject malicious web scripts or HTML code into comment fields, which can then be executed by other users who view these comments. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of persistent XSS attacks where the malicious payload is stored on the server and executed whenever the compromised content is accessed by other users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output sanitization within the PHPVibe comment processing module. When authenticated users submit comments containing malicious scripts, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape the input before storing it in the database. This allows attackers to embed javascript code or other malicious HTML elements that execute in the context of other users' browsers when they view the compromised comments. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authentication to exploit, meaning that any user with valid credentials can potentially compromise other users' sessions or steal sensitive information. This flaw directly maps to CWE-79 which describes improper neutralization of input during web page generation, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, or even execute more sophisticated attacks such as credential theft. An attacker with access to the system can create comments containing malicious payloads that persist indefinitely, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous for long-term exploitation. The authentication requirement reduces the attack surface compared to fully public vulnerabilities, but still represents a significant risk to user data and system integrity. Organizations using PHPVibe versions prior to 4.21 face potential data breaches, user privacy violations, and possible compromise of user sessions. The vulnerability also impacts the platform's reputation and can lead to regulatory compliance issues if user data is compromised.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-5399 should focus on immediate patching to version 4.21 or later where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper input sanitization and output encoding. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation that strips or encodes potentially dangerous characters before storing user-generated content. The system should employ context-appropriate output encoding for all user-supplied data, particularly when displaying comments in web interfaces. Additional defensive measures include implementing content security policies to prevent script execution, using web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads, and conducting regular security audits of user input handling mechanisms. Security teams should also consider implementing rate limiting for comment submissions and monitoring for suspicious comment patterns that may indicate attempted exploitation. Regular security training for developers on secure coding practices and input validation techniques remains essential for preventing similar vulnerabilities in the future.