CVE-2023-51312 in Restaurant Booking System
Summary
by MITRE • 02/20/2025
PHPJabbers Restaurant Booking System v3.0 is vulnerable to Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) in Reservations menu, Schedule section date parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/07/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-51312 affects PHPJabbers Restaurant Booking System version 3.0, specifically targeting the Reflected Cross-Site Scripting flaw within the Reservations menu and Schedule section. This issue arises from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into web responses. The vulnerability manifests when the application processes the date parameter in the Schedule section without sufficient sanitization, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing crafted JavaScript payloads within the date parameter of the Schedule section. When a victim navigates to this specially crafted URL, the malicious script executes in their browser session, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The reflected nature of this XSS vulnerability means that the malicious payload is reflected back to the user through the web application's response, making it particularly dangerous as it requires no persistent storage of the malicious code. This vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which categorizes improper neutralization of input during web page generation, specifically addressing the failure to properly encode or escape user-controllable data.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-51312 extends beyond simple script execution as it represents a significant security risk for restaurant booking systems that handle sensitive customer information. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or inject malicious code that persists in the victim's browser for extended periods. The attack vector is particularly concerning in the hospitality industry where booking systems often process personal information including names, contact details, and reservation preferences. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which describes the use of malicious code to gain access to systems through web application vulnerabilities, and could potentially serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks targeting the broader system infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application. The primary fix involves sanitizing all user inputs, particularly those used in URL parameters, by implementing proper HTML entity encoding before rendering any user-controllable data in web responses. Additionally, developers should implement Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts and employ proper input validation routines that reject or sanitize potentially malicious payloads. The system should also implement proper parameter validation to ensure that date inputs conform to expected formats and ranges, preventing malformed data from being processed. Regular security testing including automated scanning and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of consistent security practices across all user input handling mechanisms.