CVE-2023-2349 in Service Provider Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 04/27/2023
A vulnerability classified as problematic has been found in SourceCodester Service Provider Management System 1.0. Affected is an unknown function of the file /admin/index.php. The manipulation of the argument page leads to cross site scripting. It is possible to launch the attack remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-227592.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/21/2023
This vulnerability resides within the SourceCodester Service Provider Management System version 1.0 where an insecure input handling flaw exists in the administrative interface. The specific file affected is /admin/index.php which processes user input through the page parameter without adequate sanitization or validation mechanisms. This cross-site scripting vulnerability represents a critical security weakness that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability is classified as remotely exploitable, meaning that an attacker does not require physical access to the system or local network privileges to carry out the attack, making it particularly dangerous in web-facing environments.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves the improper handling of the page argument parameter within the administrative control panel. When a user accesses the admin interface and provides a page parameter, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape the input before rendering it within the web page context. This allows malicious actors to inject JavaScript code or other malicious payloads that execute in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability follows the typical XSS attack pattern where untrusted data flows from the web application to the user's browser without proper validation or encoding. This weakness can be categorized under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for Initial Access through Spearphishing Attachments or Links.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation within the administrative context. An attacker could potentially steal administrator sessions, modify system configurations, access sensitive data, or even escalate privileges to gain full control over the service provider management system. The fact that this exploit has been publicly disclosed and is available for use significantly increases the risk exposure, as it removes the requirement for sophisticated exploitation techniques and makes the vulnerability accessible to threat actors with basic technical knowledge. The remote exploit capability means that attackers can target the system from anywhere on the internet, potentially affecting multiple users simultaneously.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase. The most effective immediate solution involves sanitizing all user-supplied input parameters, particularly those used in dynamic content generation. The application should implement proper HTML escaping or encoding when rendering any user-provided data within web pages. Additionally, implementing a Content Security Policy (CSP) can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be executed. Regular security code reviews and input validation testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities throughout the application. The system administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious parameter values to detect potential exploitation attempts. According to NIST SP 800-160 and OWASP Top Ten guidelines, proper input validation and output encoding are fundamental security controls that should be implemented to prevent XSS vulnerabilities of this nature.