CVE-2022-1528 in VikBooking Hotel Booking Engine & PMS Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/30/2022
The VikBooking Hotel Booking Engine & PMS WordPress plugin before 1.5.9 does not escape the current URL before putting it back in a JavaScript context, leading to a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/04/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-1528 affects the VikBooking Hotel Booking Engine & PMS WordPress plugin, specifically versions prior to 1.5.9, creating a reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability that poses significant security risks to web applications. This issue arises from inadequate input sanitization within the plugin's handling of URL parameters, particularly when these parameters are incorporated into JavaScript contexts without proper escaping mechanisms. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as a weakness related to cross-site scripting, which represents one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws in the industry.
The technical flaw manifests when the plugin processes user-supplied URL parameters and directly incorporates them into JavaScript code segments without appropriate escaping or encoding. When a malicious user crafts a specially crafted URL containing script tags or other malicious JavaScript code within the parameters, and this URL is processed by the vulnerable plugin, the malicious code gets executed in the context of a victim's browser session. This occurs because the plugin fails to sanitize the URL before embedding it into JavaScript contexts, creating an environment where reflected payloads can be successfully injected and executed. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it allows attackers to leverage the trust relationship between the user's browser and the legitimate website, making the attack more effective and harder to detect.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of web content, and redirection to malicious websites. An attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability to steal administrator credentials, modify booking information, or inject malicious code that persists across multiple user sessions. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that the attack payload must be delivered through a crafted URL, making it particularly effective for phishing campaigns or social engineering attacks where users might be tricked into clicking malicious links. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential harvesting and T1584.002 for establishing persistence through web application vulnerabilities.
Organizations using the affected plugin version should immediately implement mitigations including updating to version 1.5.9 or later, which contains the necessary patches to properly escape URL parameters before embedding them in JavaScript contexts. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing input validation at the web application firewall level and monitoring for suspicious URL patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of proper secure coding practices, particularly around the handling of user input in dynamic contexts, as emphasized by OWASP Top Ten security principles and the defense-in-depth approach recommended by NIST cybersecurity frameworks. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar issues in other plugins and custom code implementations that might be susceptible to the same class of vulnerabilities.