CVE-2022-27863 in VikBooking Hotel Booking Engine & PMS Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/20/2022
Sensitive Information Exposure in E4J s.r.l. VikBooking Hotel Booking Engine & PMS plugin
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/27/2022
The CVE-2022-27863 vulnerability represents a critical sensitive information exposure flaw within the VikBooking Hotel Booking Engine & PMS plugin developed by E4J s.r.l. This vulnerability specifically affects WordPress-based hotel management systems that utilize the VikBooking plugin for property management and booking operations. The flaw stems from inadequate access controls and improper input validation mechanisms within the plugin's administrative interfaces, creating pathways for unauthorized data disclosure. The vulnerability impacts versions of the plugin prior to 4.5, making it particularly concerning given the widespread adoption of this booking engine across hospitality businesses globally. Security researchers identified that the vulnerability allows attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms and access sensitive hotel data through manipulated API endpoints and administrative functions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the plugin's insufficient validation of user permissions and inadequate sanitization of input parameters within its REST API endpoints. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious requests that leverage the plugin's booking and reservation management functions to retrieve confidential information including guest details, reservation records, payment information, and administrative credentials. The flaw operates at the application layer and can be exploited through HTTP requests that manipulate session tokens and bypass standard authentication checks. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which categorizes improper information exposure, and represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege in system security design. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical expertise and can be automated through readily available penetration testing tools.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-27863 extends beyond simple data leakage to encompass significant business and regulatory consequences for affected organizations. Hotel properties utilizing vulnerable versions of the VikBooking plugin face potential exposure of customer personal data, financial information, and business-critical operational details. This exposure creates compliance risks under data protection regulations such as gdpr, pci dss, and other privacy frameworks that mandate the protection of sensitive information. The vulnerability's accessibility means that even automated scanning tools can identify and exploit the flaw, amplifying the potential attack surface and timeframe for exploitation. Organizations may experience reputational damage, regulatory fines, and legal liability stemming from unauthorized data access incidents. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for further attacks as stolen information can be used for identity theft, financial fraud, or as a stepping stone for more sophisticated compromise attempts.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-27863 require immediate action from affected organizations to upgrade to patched versions of the VikBooking plugin and implement additional security controls. The primary remediation involves updating to version 4.5 or later, which includes proper access control enforcement and input validation mechanisms. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to administrative interfaces, enforce multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts, and conduct regular security audits of plugin installations. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous API access patterns and unauthorized data retrieval attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining current plugin versions and implementing security best practices such as the principle of least privilege, regular vulnerability assessments, and comprehensive incident response procedures. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts.