WebcalendarApplication

CVE-2005-3961

MEDIUM · 5.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2005-12-01
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
59/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
export_handler.php in WebCalendar 1.0.1 allows remote attackers to overwrite WebCalendar data files via a modified id parameter.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

The export_handler.php script in WebCalendar 1.0.1 fails to properly validate the id parameter, allowing remote attackers to manipulate file paths and overwrite arbitrary WebCalendar data files on the server. This file overwrite vulnerability could lead to data corruption or denial of service.

MitigationImplement strict input validation on the id parameter to restrict it to expected values, apply proper file access controls to prevent writing outside intended directories, and upgrade to a patched version of WebCalendar if available.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
WebcalendarApplication
Affected:= 1.0.1

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Partial
Availability
None

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm WebCalendar installation
    Locate the WebCalendar application directory on the server. Common paths include /var/www/html/webcalendar, /www/webcalendar, or check your web server document root for a webcalendar directory.
    Affected if WebCalendar is not installed on the system.
  2. Identify WebCalendar version
    Check the version file or header in the WebCalendar installation. Look for a version.php, README, or check the HTTP response headers when accessing the application. The affected version is 1.0.1.
    Affected if The installed version is WebCalendar 1.0.1.
  3. Locate export_handler.php
    Search for the file export_handler.php within the WebCalendar installation directory. This is the vulnerable script mentioned in the CVE.
    Affected if export_handler.php exists in the WebCalendar installation.
  4. Verify id parameter handling
    Examine the export_handler.php script to see how the 'id' parameter is processed. Check if user-supplied input for 'id' is used in file operations without proper validation.
    Affected if The id parameter accepts user input and uses it in file path operations without strict validation.
  5. Check file write permissions
    Review the permissions on WebCalendar data directories and files. Determine if the web server user has write access to files that could be overwritten via the id parameter.
    Affected if The web server process can write to WebCalendar data files based on the vulnerable parameter input.

A user is affected if they are running WebCalendar version 1.0.1 with the export_handler.php script present and the id parameter accessible for manipulation.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Implement strict input validation on the id parameter to restrict it to expected values, apply proper file access controls to prevent writing outside intended directories, and upgrade to a patched version of WebCalendar if available.

Fix this in Webcalendar Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2005-3961 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data