CVE-2018-6935 in Student Profile Management System Script
Summary
by MITRE
PHP Scripts Mall Student Profile Management System Script v2.0.6 has XSS via the Name field to list_student.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/18/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-6935 affects the PHP Scripts Mall Student Profile Management System version 2.0.6, specifically targeting the list_student.php script through the Name field parameter. This represents a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web applications, potentially compromising user sessions and data integrity. The flaw exists within the application's input validation mechanisms, where user-supplied data is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to users in the web interface.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate output escaping and input validation practices within the student profile management system. When users submit names through the Name field, the application fails to properly sanitize or encode the input data before displaying it in the list_student.php output. This creates an opportunity for attackers to inject malicious javascript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the application processes the Name parameter without implementing proper security controls such as html entity encoding or content security policy enforcement.
From an operational impact perspective, this XSS vulnerability poses significant risks to the confidentiality and integrity of the student management system. Attackers could exploit this weakness to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users, or redirect victims to malicious websites. The vulnerability affects the entire student profile management functionality and could potentially compromise sensitive educational data. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-79 which describes "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')", a fundamental web application security weakness that has been consistently ranked among the top security risks by OWASP.
The attack surface for this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection to include potential privilege escalation and data exfiltration scenarios. An attacker could craft malicious payloads that exploit the XSS to access administrative functions or extract sensitive student information. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers "Phishing for Information" and T1059 which addresses "Command and Scripting Interpreter" as attackers could leverage the XSS to establish persistent access through malicious scripts. Organizations using this system face potential compliance violations under data protection regulations such as GDPR or FERPA due to inadequate security controls.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The recommended approach includes implementing proper HTML entity encoding for all user-supplied data before rendering in web pages, utilizing Content Security Policy headers to restrict script execution, and implementing proper input sanitization routines. Additionally, developers should adopt secure coding practices that align with OWASP Top Ten recommendations and implement automated security testing during development cycles. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in related components and ensure the overall security posture remains robust against evolving threat landscapes.