CVE-2012-4281 in Travelon Express
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities in Travelon Express 6.2.2 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the hid parameter to (1) holiday.php or (2) holiday_book.php, (3) id parameter to pages.php, (4) fid parameter to admin/airline-edit.php, or (5) cid parameter to admin/customer-edit.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/10/2025
The CVE-2012-4281 vulnerability represents a critical SQL injection flaw affecting Travelon Express version 6.2.2, a web-based travel management system that facilitates holiday bookings and administrative functions. This vulnerability resides in the application's improper handling of user-supplied input parameters, creating pathways for malicious actors to execute unauthorized database operations. The flaw manifests across multiple endpoints including holiday.php, holiday_book.php, pages.php, admin/airline-edit.php, and admin/customer-edit.php, each accepting specific parameters that are not adequately sanitized or validated before being incorporated into SQL queries. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-89 which defines SQL injection as the insertion of malicious SQL code into input fields, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1190 for exploitation of vulnerabilities in web applications.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when remote attackers manipulate the specified parameters to inject malicious SQL commands into the application's database layer. When the hid parameter is submitted to holiday.php or holiday_book.php, or when id is passed to pages.php, or when fid is used in admin/airline-edit.php, or when cid is submitted to admin/customer-edit.php, the application processes these inputs without proper input validation or parameterization. This allows attackers to construct SQL queries that bypass authentication, extract sensitive data, modify database records, or even execute system commands depending on the underlying database configuration. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that multiple entry points exist, increasing the attack surface and providing attackers with various methods to achieve their objectives.
The operational consequences of CVE-2012-4281 extend beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive customer information. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to extract customer personal data, booking details, payment information, and administrative credentials stored within the database. The vulnerability also enables attackers to modify or delete critical business data, potentially disrupting travel services and causing financial losses. Given that Travelon Express is a travel management system, the exposed data could include personal identification information, passport details, and financial records, making this a particularly severe security incident. The vulnerability's presence in administrative endpoints such as admin/airline-edit.php and admin/customer-edit.php suggests that attackers could gain elevated privileges and potentially compromise the entire system infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-4281 must focus on implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries throughout the application codebase. Organizations should immediately patch the affected Travelon Express system to the latest available version that addresses these SQL injection vulnerabilities. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and input sanitization mechanisms can provide additional layers of protection against similar attacks. The security posture should include regular code reviews to identify and remediate potential injection points, as well as implementing proper access controls and database permissions to limit the impact of successful attacks. Compliance with industry standards such as OWASP Top Ten and NIST guidelines for secure coding practices should be enforced to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future development cycles. The remediation process should also include comprehensive security testing including penetration testing and vulnerability scanning to ensure that all injection points have been properly addressed and that the system maintains a secure configuration.