CVE-2023-44173 in Online Movie Ticket Booking System
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
Online Movie Ticket Booking System v1.0 is vulnerable to an authenticated Reflected Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/25/2023
The Online Movie Ticket Booking System v1.0 presents a significant security weakness through its authenticated reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability that compromises user session integrity and data confidentiality. This vulnerability exists within the system's input validation mechanisms, where user-supplied data is inadequately sanitized before being reflected back to users in web responses. The flaw specifically manifests when authenticated users interact with system components that process external input without proper encoding or filtering, creating an environment where malicious scripts can be injected and executed within the victim's browser context.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient output encoding practices within the application's web interface components. When authenticated users navigate to pages that reflect user-provided parameters back to the browser without proper HTML entity encoding, attackers can craft malicious payloads that exploit this weakness. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious script is not stored on the server but rather injected through crafted URLs or form submissions that are immediately reflected back to the user's browser. This characteristic aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where untrusted data is reflected back to users without proper sanitization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it enables attackers to manipulate user sessions, steal sensitive information, and potentially escalate privileges within the authenticated context. An attacker could craft malicious links that, when clicked by authenticated users, would execute malicious JavaScript code within their browser session. This could result in session hijacking, data exfiltration, or even privilege escalation if the application's authentication mechanisms are compromised. The authenticated aspect of this vulnerability is particularly concerning as it requires less initial access than purely unauthenticated attacks, making it more likely to be exploited in real-world scenarios.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in relation to the ATT&CK framework's TA0001 Initial Access and TA0002 Execution tactics, where reflected XSS serves as a common vector for establishing persistent access and executing malicious code. The system's lack of proper input validation and output encoding creates a pathway for attackers to bypass traditional security controls and establish malicious presence within the application environment. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation, output encoding, and Content Security Policy implementations to address this weakness. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the application's codebase, particularly focusing on areas where user input is processed and displayed without proper sanitization measures. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of implementing secure coding practices and maintaining robust application security controls to prevent unauthorized access and data compromise.