When posting a new topic the topic title field (subject in newpost.php) is
not properly sanitised before being returned to the user. This can be used
to stole users cookie and cookies contain username/password data usable to
bypass login sequences.
Cookie Manipulation:
The PM system (pm.php) is using a very poor or we can say it is not using
at al a member validation. This file can be accessed directly, the remote
attacker have just to set a valid username in the membercookie cookie
parameter. This can be used to access/use everybody personal messenger.
Example of member validation used in the file:
$getpm = $db->query("SELECT type,hasread FROM ".$prefix."pm WHERE
(whoto='$membercookie')");
Another weakness is the fact that the password md5 is always carried with
the cookies and it can be stolen by sniffers or with XSS and even decrypted
with rainbow tables.
There may be more vulnerabilities there.
The Author was contacted via home page "personal messenger" module at July
30 2006. The problem was fixed on the product main website, and a new
release is scheduled.
Solution:
You may edit the source code to ensure that input is properly sanitised.
Feedback :
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