CVE-2023-3860 in Insurance
Summary
by MITRE • 07/24/2023
A vulnerability was found in phpscriptpoint Insurance 1.2. It has been classified as problematic. Affected is an unknown function of the file /page.php. The manipulation leads to cross site scripting. It is possible to launch the attack remotely. The identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-235212. NOTE: The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/16/2023
This vulnerability resides within phpscriptpoint Insurance version 1.2, specifically targeting an unknown function within the /page.php file. The issue manifests as a cross site scripting vulnerability that allows remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of a victim's browser. The classification as problematic indicates a significant security risk that could compromise user sessions and potentially lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can initiate the attack without requiring physical access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous in web applications where users interact with potentially untrusted content. The lack of vendor response to early disclosure attempts suggests a potential delay in addressing the security gap, leaving users exposed to possible exploitation. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category for cross site scripting, which represents one of the most prevalent and well-documented web application security flaws in the industry.
The technical flaw in this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the application's page rendering functionality. When user-supplied data is processed through the affected function in /page.php, the application fails to properly escape or filter malicious script content before it is rendered in the browser. This allows attackers to inject javascript code that executes in the context of legitimate users' sessions, potentially stealing cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive data. The attack vector operates through the standard http request mechanism where an attacker can craft malicious requests containing script payloads that get executed when the page is rendered. This vulnerability directly maps to the ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for spearphishing via email, as attackers could potentially use this flaw to deliver malicious payloads through web-based attack vectors. The remote nature of the exploit means that the attack can be launched from any location with internet access, making it particularly challenging to defend against through network-level controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, data theft, and privilege escalation within the application context. Users who visit compromised pages could have their browser sessions compromised, leading to unauthorized access to insurance-related information and potential financial fraud. The vulnerability's presence in a web application designed for insurance services creates additional risk as it could expose sensitive personal and financial data. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to create persistent backdoors, modify application behavior, or redirect users to malicious sites. The lack of vendor response to disclosure creates an extended window of exposure where legitimate users remain vulnerable to potential exploitation. Organizations using this software version face significant risk of data breaches and compliance violations, particularly in environments where insurance data handling is subject to regulatory requirements such as gdpr or hipaa. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and having robust vulnerability management processes in place to address known security flaws promptly.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding controls within the application's page rendering logic. Organizations should deploy web application firewalls to detect and block malicious script payloads attempting to exploit this vulnerability. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar flaws in other application components. The application should be updated to a patched version as soon as available, though the vendor's lack of response suggests this may require manual remediation. Input sanitization should be implemented at multiple layers including client-side validation, server-side filtering, and proper output encoding. Security headers such as content security policy should be configured to prevent script execution from untrusted sources. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the need for comprehensive security awareness training for developers to prevent similar flaws in future application development cycles. Additionally, organizations should implement automated vulnerability scanning tools that can identify and alert on known vulnerable components within their application portfolios, reducing the window of exposure for such security flaws.