CVE-2018-15191 in hotel-booking-script
Summary
by MITRE
PHP Scripts Mall hotel-booking-script 2.0.4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via crafted JavaScript code in the First Name, Last Name, or Address field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/14/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-15191 affects the PHP Scripts Mall hotel-booking-script version 2.0.4, representing a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks through malicious JavaScript code injection. This vulnerability resides within the input validation mechanisms of the booking script, specifically targeting fields designated for guest information including First Name, Last Name, and Address. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-79 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, where user-supplied data fails to be properly sanitized before being processed or displayed.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the absence of adequate input sanitization and validation within the web application's data handling pipeline. When attackers submit malicious JavaScript payloads through the vulnerable fields, the application processes these inputs without proper filtering or escaping mechanisms, potentially leading to script execution in the context of the victim's browser. This type of vulnerability falls under the broader category of cross-site scripting attacks and represents a significant risk to the availability and integrity of the web application's services. The attack vector operates through the web interface where users interact with the booking system, making it accessible to anyone with network access to the vulnerable application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass potential data compromise and system instability. A successful exploitation could allow attackers to consume excessive system resources through resource-intensive JavaScript code, leading to server performance degradation or complete service unavailability. The vulnerability affects the core booking functionality of the hotel management system, potentially preventing legitimate users from completing reservations or accessing critical booking information. From an attacker perspective, this represents a low-effort, high-impact method for causing operational disruption, as the attack requires minimal technical expertise to execute.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-15191 should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data flow. The primary defense involves sanitizing all user inputs through proper escaping techniques before processing or storing data, particularly for fields that will be displayed in web interfaces. Implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script execution vulnerabilities, while regular security audits should verify that all input fields are properly validated. The remediation process should include updating the vulnerable hotel-booking-script to a patched version that addresses the input sanitization issues, as recommended by the software vendor. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious input patterns, and establish comprehensive monitoring systems to identify potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution, emphasizing the importance of securing web application interfaces against malicious code injection attacks that can lead to system-wide service disruption.