CVE-2017-17940 in Single Theater Booking
Summary
by MITRE
PHP Scripts Mall Single Theater Booking has XSS via the title parameter to admin/sitesettings.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/14/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-17940 affects the PHP Scripts Mall Single Theater Booking application, specifically targeting the admin/sitesettings.php endpoint. This issue represents a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability that arises from improper input validation and output sanitization within the administrative interface. The vulnerability is triggered when an attacker submits malicious content through the title parameter, which is then reflected back to users without adequate security measures to prevent script execution. This flaw exists within the application's administrative configuration section where settings are managed, making it particularly concerning as it provides an attack vector into the system's administrative functions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly sanitize user-supplied input before rendering it within the web page context. When the title parameter is processed by admin/sitesettings.php, the input undergoes insufficient validation and encoding, allowing malicious scripts to be executed in the context of other users' browsers. This represents a type 1 cross-site scripting vulnerability according to CWE-79, where the application reflects user input directly into web pages without proper sanitization. The attack typically involves injecting javascript code through the title parameter that gets executed when the page is rendered, potentially allowing attackers to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement. An attacker who successfully exploits this XSS flaw can gain significant control over the administrative interface and potentially compromise the entire application. The vulnerability affects the application's integrity and confidentiality by enabling unauthorized modifications to system settings, user management, and potentially allowing privilege escalation. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for script injection techniques and T1548.002 for abuse of credentials, as it can be leveraged to execute malicious code with administrative privileges. The attack surface is particularly concerning as it targets the administrative settings page, which typically contains sensitive configuration data and access controls that govern the application's behavior.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase. The most effective approach involves implementing proper sanitization of all user inputs before they are processed or displayed, utilizing context-appropriate encoding such as HTML entity encoding for web page content. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against script execution. The application should also employ proper parameter validation to ensure that inputs conform to expected formats and lengths, while implementing proper access controls to limit administrative functionality to authorized users only. Regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other parts of the application, as this type of flaw often indicates broader input validation issues within the codebase. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in OWASP Top 10 and other industry standards for preventing injection flaws and maintaining application security.