CVE-2023-22985 in Simple Guestbook Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 04/06/2023
Sourcecodester Simple Guestbook Management System version 1 is vulnerable to Cross Site Scripting (XSS) via Name, Referrer, Location, and Comments.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2026
The CVE-2023-22985 vulnerability affects the Sourcecodester Simple Guestbook Management System version 1, representing a critical cross site scripting flaw that compromises the security of web applications. This vulnerability resides within the guestbook management system's input handling mechanisms, specifically targeting four key data fields including Name, Referrer, Location, and Comments. The flaw allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data theft, or session hijacking. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross site scripting as a code injection flaw where untrusted data is improperly integrated into web pages without proper validation or sanitization. This issue directly impacts the application's integrity and user trust within the web environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the guestbook management system's data processing pipeline. When users submit entries containing Name, Referrer, Location, or Comments fields, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied data before rendering it back to other users. This creates an environment where malicious actors can embed javascript code, html tags, or other malicious payloads within these fields. The attack vector typically involves crafting specially formatted input that includes script tags or other malicious code sequences that get executed when other users view the guestbook entries. The vulnerability operates at the application layer where user input directly influences web page content generation, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that display user-generated content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user information, or redirect victims to malicious websites. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to inject malicious scripts that capture user credentials, monitor user activities, or manipulate the guestbook content to deface the website. The consequences are particularly severe in environments where the guestbook system serves as a public-facing interface, as any visitor can potentially become a victim of the injected scripts. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for attackers to establish persistent threats through techniques such as cross site request forgery or cookie theft. This flaw undermines the fundamental security principles of input validation and output encoding, creating a persistent threat vector that remains active as long as the vulnerable version is deployed.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-22985 should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all user-supplied fields within the guestbook management system. Organizations must ensure that all user input is properly sanitized before being stored or displayed, implementing proper HTML entity encoding for any content that gets rendered in web pages. The recommended approach involves applying the principle of least privilege in input handling, where all user-supplied data is treated as potentially malicious and subjected to strict validation. Security patches should be applied immediately to upgrade to a non-vulnerable version of the system, while implementing additional defensive measures such as content security policies and web application firewalls. This vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and input validation testing as part of the software development lifecycle, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script injection and T1566.001 for malicious file execution. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security reviews of all web applications to identify similar vulnerabilities and implement proper defense in depth strategies to protect against such threats.