CVE-2018-5077 in Online Ticket Booking
Summary
by MITRE
Online Ticket Booking has XSS via the admin/movieedit.php moviename parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/19/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-5077 represents a cross-site scripting flaw within an online ticket booking system that specifically affects the administrative movie editing functionality. This issue manifests through the moviename parameter in the admin/movieedit.php endpoint, creating a potential vector for malicious attackers to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into the web application. The vulnerability falls under the category of persistent cross-site scripting as it allows attackers to manipulate the movie name field which is likely displayed in various contexts throughout the application's user interface, potentially affecting both administrators and end users who view the modified content.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker submits malicious script code through the moviename parameter during movie editing operations. This input is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered in the web page, allowing the injected JavaScript to execute in the context of other users' browsers. The flaw demonstrates inadequate input validation and output encoding practices, which are fundamental security controls that should prevent such injection attacks. According to CWE classification, this represents a CWE-79: Cross-site Scripting vulnerability where the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-5077 extends beyond simple data corruption or display issues, as it provides attackers with potential access to sensitive administrative functions and user data. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, or even escalate privileges within the application if the movie editing functionality is accessible to users with elevated permissions. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it targets an administrative interface, potentially allowing unauthorized individuals to manipulate movie listings, modify booking information, or access other sensitive data within the ticket booking system. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531: Use of Web Shell where attackers can establish persistence through manipulated administrative interfaces.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. All user-supplied data must be properly sanitized before being processed or stored, with special characters and potentially malicious scripts being stripped or encoded appropriately. The application should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and prevent unauthorized code injection. Additionally, proper access controls and input length limitations should be enforced on the moviename parameter to prevent exploitation. Regular security testing including dynamic application security testing and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other parameters and endpoints within the system. The remediation approach should follow security best practices outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST guidelines for preventing cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in web applications.