CVE-2018-19187 in payfort-php-SDK
Summary
by MITRE
The Amazon PAYFORT payfort-php-SDK payment gateway SDK through 2018-04-26 has XSS via an arbitrary parameter name or value that is mishandled in a success.php echo statement.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-19187 resides within the Amazon PAYFORT payfort-php-SDK payment gateway software development kit, specifically affecting versions released through April 26, 2018. This security flaw represents a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability that exploits improper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the SDK's implementation. The issue manifests when arbitrary parameter names or values are passed to the success.php endpoint, where these parameters are subsequently echoed without adequate sanitization or encoding, creating an exploitable vector for malicious code injection.
The technical flaw occurs at the point of parameter handling within the SDK's success.php file, where user-supplied data is directly incorporated into the HTTP response without proper validation or sanitization. This vulnerability falls under CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws, and more precisely maps to CWE-798, indicating the exposure of hardcoded credentials or sensitive parameters, though in this case it's more appropriately classified as a direct output encoding failure. The vulnerability's exploitation requires an attacker to craft malicious parameter values that, when processed by the SDK, result in executable code being injected into the victim's browser session. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it leverages the legitimate payment processing workflow, making it difficult to distinguish between benign and malicious requests.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of the victim's browser. This could enable session manipulation, credential theft, data exfiltration, or even redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability affects any system utilizing the affected SDK version, particularly those implementing the Amazon PAYFORT payment processing solution. Attackers could exploit this weakness to inject malicious scripts that would execute whenever the payment confirmation page loads, potentially compromising customer data and the integrity of the payment processing system.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-19187 require immediate action to upgrade to patched versions of the payfort-php-SDK, which should include proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement parameter sanitization routines that filter or encode all user-supplied data before it is processed or displayed in the response. The implementation should follow secure coding practices that align with the OWASP Secure Coding Practices, specifically addressing input validation and output encoding requirements. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual parameter patterns that might indicate attempted exploitation, and network segmentation should be considered to limit the potential impact of successful attacks. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of validating all inputs and properly encoding outputs in web applications, particularly in payment processing systems where sensitive data is handled. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this under T1059.007 for scripting languages and T1566 for credential access through social engineering, highlighting the multi-faceted nature of the threat.