CVE-2020-25762 in Seat Reservation System
Summary
by MITRE • 10/04/2020
An issue was discovered in SourceCodester Seat Reservation System 1.0. The file admin_class.php does not perform input validation on the username and password parameters. An attacker can send malicious input in the post request to /admin/ajax.php?action=login and bypass authentication, extract sensitive information etc.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/03/2025
The vulnerability identified in CVE-2020-25762 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw within the SourceCodester Seat Reservation System version 1.0. This system, designed for managing seat reservations, contains a fundamental security weakness in its administrative authentication mechanism that directly compromises the integrity of the entire platform. The vulnerability resides specifically within the admin_class.php file which fails to implement proper input validation controls for critical authentication parameters. This oversight creates a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system's login functionality through crafted POST requests to the /admin/ajax.php endpoint with the action parameter set to login.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation as a core weakness that allows attackers to manipulate application behavior through malformed inputs. When an attacker sends maliciously crafted username and password parameters through the POST request to the administrative login endpoint, the system's lack of input sanitization enables arbitrary code execution and unauthorized access. This flaw operates at the intersection of multiple security domains including authentication mechanisms, input handling, and privilege escalation vectors. The vulnerability specifically targets the authentication flow by exploiting the absence of proper parameter validation, allowing attackers to bypass the intended security controls that should validate user credentials before granting administrative access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, potentially enabling attackers to extract sensitive information, modify system configurations, and compromise the entire seat reservation database. An attacker with successful authentication bypass can manipulate reservation data, access confidential user information, and potentially escalate privileges within the system. This represents a significant threat to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the reservation system's data, particularly since the flaw affects the administrative interface which typically holds the most privileged access controls. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical skill and can be automated, making it particularly dangerous in environments where such systems are deployed without proper network segmentation or additional security controls.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and sanitization measures across all user-supplied parameters within the administrative interface. The system administrators must ensure that all inputs are properly validated using allow-list approaches that restrict input to expected character sets and lengths. Additionally, implementing proper session management, rate limiting, and logging mechanisms can help detect and prevent unauthorized access attempts. Security controls should include input filtering at multiple layers including application-level validation, database query parameterization, and network-level monitoring. The remediation process must address the root cause by incorporating proper authentication frameworks that follow established security standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST Cybersecurity Framework. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the system that may not have undergone the same level of security scrutiny as the administrative interface.