CVE-2022-4091 in Canteen Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 11/25/2022
A vulnerability was found in SourceCodester Canteen Management System. It has been classified as problematic. This affects the function query of the file food.php. The manipulation of the argument product_name leads to cross site scripting. It is possible to initiate the attack remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The associated identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-214359.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/23/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-4091 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the SourceCodester Canteen Management System, specifically targeting the product_name parameter in the food.php file. This weakness falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, where improper input validation allows malicious actors to inject malicious scripts into web applications that are then executed by other users. The vulnerability's classification as problematic indicates a significant security risk that could compromise user sessions and potentially lead to unauthorized access or data theft within the canteen management environment.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the query function in food.php where the product_name argument is not properly sanitized or validated before being processed and displayed. When an attacker crafts a malicious payload containing script code within the product_name parameter, this code gets executed in the context of other users' browsers who view the affected content. The remote attack vector means that malicious users can exploit this vulnerability without requiring physical access to the system, making it particularly dangerous for web-based applications. The disclosed exploit at VDB-214359 indicates that this vulnerability has already been weaponized by threat actors, increasing the urgency for remediation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, manipulate the application's functionality, or redirect users to malicious websites. In the context of a canteen management system, this could compromise user credentials, personal information, or even financial transaction data if the system handles payment processing. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that canteen management systems often contain sensitive user data including personal identification, dietary preferences, and potentially payment information, making this vulnerability a prime target for cybercriminals seeking to exploit weak input validation mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-4091 should focus on implementing proper input sanitization and output encoding techniques to prevent script injection attacks. The system should validate all user inputs, particularly those used in dynamic content generation, and apply appropriate encoding methods such as HTML entity encoding before displaying any user-supplied data. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts and establish proper input validation routines that reject or sanitize potentially malicious content. Additionally, regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, while keeping the system updated with the latest security patches and following secure coding practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity guidelines. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and output encoding in web applications, particularly in systems handling sensitive user data where the consequences of XSS attacks can be severe.