CVE-2009-3067 in Reservation Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in index.php in Reservation Manager allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the resman_startdate parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/22/2017
The CVE-2009-3067 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the Reservation Manager application's index.php script. This security weakness specifically targets the resman_startdate parameter, which serves as an entry point for malicious actors to execute unauthorized code within the context of legitimate user sessions. The vulnerability falls under the broader category of input validation failures that have been consistently identified as critical threats in web application security assessments.
This particular XSS vulnerability operates by failing to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content. When the resman_startdate parameter receives malicious input containing script tags or other executable code, the application processes this data without adequate filtering mechanisms. The flaw stems from insufficient output encoding practices and demonstrates a fundamental lack of proper input validation controls that should be implemented at multiple layers of the application stack. The vulnerability is classified as a reflected XSS issue since the malicious payload is immediately reflected back to users through the web application's response.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it can enable attackers to hijack user sessions, redirect victims to malicious websites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. Attackers can craft specially formatted URLs containing malicious scripts within the resman_startdate parameter that, when clicked by unsuspecting users, execute unauthorized commands in the victim's browser context. This type of vulnerability particularly affects web applications that handle reservation data, as it can be exploited to manipulate booking systems or gain access to sensitive reservation information. The vulnerability represents a significant risk to organizations relying on reservation management systems, especially those handling personal or financial data.
Security professionals should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding measures to address this vulnerability. The recommended mitigation strategies include implementing strict parameter validation for all user inputs, applying proper HTML entity encoding to all dynamic content, and employing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit script execution. Organizations should also consider implementing the principle of least privilege and regularly conduct security assessments to identify similar input validation flaws. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a typical attack vector that would be categorized under the ATT&CK technique T1203 for "Exploitation for Client Execution" in threat modeling frameworks. Additionally, this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and input sanitization as outlined in OWASP Top Ten security guidelines, particularly addressing the critical need for proper validation of all user-supplied data before processing or rendering within web applications.