CVE-2023-51318 in Bus Reservation System
Summary
by MITRE • 02/20/2025
PHPJabbers Bus Reservation System v1.1 is vulnerable to Multiple Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) in the "title, name" parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/07/2026
The PHPJabbers Bus Reservation System version 1.1 contains multiple stored cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that pose significant security risks to web applications utilizing this software. This vulnerability affects the system's handling of user input in the "title" and "name" parameters, which are processed and stored within the application's database before being rendered in subsequent web responses. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that malicious payloads persist in the system and can affect multiple users who view the compromised content, unlike reflected XSS attacks that require user interaction with a malicious link. The vulnerability resides in the application's insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms, which fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before it is stored and subsequently displayed to other users. This weakness allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the affected system.
The technical flaw manifests when user-provided data containing malicious script code is submitted through the title and name fields of the bus reservation system. The application accepts this data without adequate sanitization or encoding, storing it directly in the database. When other users access pages displaying this stored data, the malicious scripts execute in their browsers, creating a persistent threat vector. This vulnerability falls under CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly encode or escape user-controllable data before including it in web output. The stored XSS attack chain begins with an attacker submitting malicious input through the vulnerable parameters, which gets stored in the database, and then executed when other users view the affected content, making this a particularly dangerous threat because the attack payload persists and can affect multiple victims over time.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to escalate privileges, steal sensitive information, or manipulate the application's functionality. An attacker could inject scripts that steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or even modify reservation data through the application's interface. The vulnerability's persistence means that once exploited, the malicious code continues to affect users until the stored data is removed or the application is patched, creating a long-term security risk. This type of vulnerability can undermine user trust in the reservation system, potentially leading to business disruption and regulatory compliance issues. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that reservation systems often contain sensitive personal and financial information, making this vulnerability a prime target for cybercriminals seeking to exploit user interactions with the application. The vulnerability's presence in a reservation system also increases risk to organizations that depend on accurate data management and user authentication, as attackers could potentially gain unauthorized access to reservation records or manipulate booking information.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data processing pipeline. The system must sanitize all user inputs using strict validation rules and encode output data before rendering it in web pages to prevent script execution. Organizations should implement proper content security policies and utilize security libraries or frameworks that automatically handle input sanitization and output encoding. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in the application codebase, while input fields should be validated against expected data formats and lengths. The implementation of web application firewalls and security monitoring systems can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Additionally, developers should follow secure coding practices and adhere to the principle of least privilege when designing application interfaces. Organizations should also establish incident response procedures for handling XSS vulnerabilities and maintain up-to-date security patches for the PHPJabbers Bus Reservation System. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as attackers may use the XSS vulnerability to deliver malicious payloads through compromised reservation system interactions, and T1071.001 - Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols, as the attack exploits web application vulnerabilities through HTTP requests containing malicious scripts.