CVE-2020-23647 in BoxBilling
Summary
by MITRE • 04/28/2023
Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in BoxBilling 4.19, 4.19.1, 4.20, and 4.21 allows remote attackers to run arbitrary code via the message field on the submit new ticket form.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/27/2025
The Cross Site Scripting vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-23647 represents a critical security flaw within the BoxBilling customer management platform affecting versions 4.19, 4.19.1, 4.20, and 4.21. This vulnerability resides in the ticket submission functionality where the message field fails to properly sanitize user input, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject malicious scripts into the web application. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary code within the context of other users' browsers, potentially compromising the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive customer data managed through the platform.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the BoxBilling application's ticket submission form. When users submit tickets through the web interface, the message field does not employ proper sanitization techniques to filter out potentially harmful script content. This weakness allows attackers to craft malicious payloads containing javascript code that gets executed when other users view the ticket or when the application processes the submitted data. The vulnerability manifests as a classic reflected cross site scripting attack where malicious input is immediately reflected back to users without adequate sanitization, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that handle sensitive customer information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, creating significant risks for organizations relying on BoxBilling for customer management and support ticket handling. Attackers could exploit this flaw to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, or inject malicious scripts that could harvest sensitive customer data including personal information, billing details, and support communications. The vulnerability particularly affects the application's ability to maintain user trust and data integrity, as compromised sessions could lead to unauthorized access to customer accounts and potential financial fraud. Organizations using affected versions face increased risk of data breaches and regulatory compliance violations due to the exposure of sensitive customer information through this scripting vulnerability.
Security professionals should immediately implement mitigations including input validation and output encoding controls to prevent malicious script injection. The recommended approach involves implementing comprehensive sanitization of all user input fields, particularly those used for ticket messages and other data entry points. Organizations should deploy web application firewalls with XSS detection capabilities and ensure that all user-generated content undergoes proper encoding before being rendered in web browsers. Additionally, the application should be updated to the latest stable version where this vulnerability has been patched, as the vendor has addressed the issue in subsequent releases. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross Site Scripting flaws, and represents a clear violation of secure coding practices that should be addressed through proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The attack vector follows typical XSS exploitation patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the technique of web application attacks, specifically targeting user input fields that are not properly sanitized.