CVE-2018-6904 in Car Rental Script
Summary
by MITRE
PHP Scripts Mall Car Rental Script 2.0.8 has XSS via the User Name field in an Edit Profile action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/18/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-6904 affects PHP Scripts Mall Car Rental Script version 2.0.8 and represents a cross-site scripting flaw that can be exploited through the username field during profile editing operations. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of insecure input handling where user-supplied data is not properly validated or sanitized before being rendered back to users within web pages. The specific vector involves the username parameter which is processed during the edit profile functionality, creating an opportunity for malicious actors to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient output encoding and input validation mechanisms within the application's profile editing module. When users modify their profile information, particularly the username field, the application fails to adequately sanitize the input data before storing and subsequently displaying it. This creates a persistent XSS condition where attacker-controlled script code can be stored in the database and executed whenever other users view the affected profile page. The vulnerability is classified as a classic stored cross-site scripting issue according to CWE-79 which defines the weakness as the failure to properly encode output data, allowing malicious scripts to be executed in the victim's browser context.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to both user privacy and application integrity. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw can execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the browsers of other users who view the compromised profile information. This could enable session hijacking attacks where malicious actors steal user authentication tokens, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of victims, or redirect users to phishing sites. The impact extends beyond simple data theft as the attacker can potentially escalate privileges, access sensitive user information, or manipulate the application's functionality through the compromised user sessions. The vulnerability affects the application's core user management functionality and undermines the trust users place in the system's security measures.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should encompass multiple layers of defense to prevent exploitation. The primary remediation involves implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data handling pipeline. All user-supplied input, particularly fields used in profile management, must be sanitized using established encoding techniques such as HTML entity encoding for output contexts. The application should employ a whitelist-based approach to validate username formats and reject potentially malicious input patterns. Additionally, implementing proper content security policies can provide an additional layer of protection against script execution. Security headers such as X-Content-Type-Options and X-Frame-Options should be configured to prevent certain types of attacks. Regular security testing including dynamic application security testing and manual code review should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213 which focuses on data from information repositories and represents the type of access that could be gained through successful XSS exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security audits to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in future versions of the application.