CVE-2023-5698 in Internet Banking System
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
A vulnerability classified as problematic was found in CodeAstro Internet Banking System 1.0. This vulnerability affects unknown code of the file pages_deposit_money.php. The manipulation of the argument account_number with the input 421873905-->alert(9523)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-5698 represents a critical security flaw within the CodeAstro Internet Banking System version 1.0, specifically targeting the pages_deposit_money.php component. This issue falls under the category of input validation weaknesses that can potentially lead to severe financial and operational consequences. The vulnerability manifests when the account_number parameter is manipulated with the malicious input sequence 421873905-->alert(9523), indicating a potential cross-site scripting attack vector that could be exploited by threat actors to compromise user sessions and financial data integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization and validation of user-supplied input within the deposit money functionality. When the system processes the account_number parameter without proper filtering mechanisms, it creates an environment where malicious payloads can be injected and executed within the browser context of authenticated users. This particular attack vector demonstrates the classic characteristics of a reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability where the malicious script is embedded in the URL parameter and executed when the page loads. The specific payload structure with the alert function suggests that the system's input handling does not properly escape or validate special characters that could be interpreted as executable code by web browsers.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-5698 extends beyond simple script injection, as it represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's security controls that could enable more sophisticated attacks. Threat actors could potentially leverage this vulnerability to steal user session cookies, redirect victims to phishing sites, or execute additional malicious payloads that could lead to unauthorized financial transactions. The vulnerability affects the core banking functionality and could compromise the integrity of the entire deposit system, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate account balances or gain unauthorized access to sensitive financial information. This type of vulnerability directly violates the principles of secure coding and demonstrates a lack of proper input validation mechanisms that should be implemented at multiple layers of the application architecture.
Organizations utilizing the CodeAstro Internet Banking System should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies including input validation, output encoding, and proper parameter sanitization to address this vulnerability. The remediation process should involve implementing strict validation rules for account_number parameters to reject any input containing special characters or script tags that could be interpreted as executable code. Additionally, the system should employ Content Security Policy headers to prevent unauthorized script execution and implement proper session management controls to protect against session hijacking attacks. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws as one of the most prevalent web application security vulnerabilities, and it maps to ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering tactics through malicious payloads. The incident highlights the critical importance of implementing defense-in-depth strategies that include both runtime protections and secure coding practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities from compromising financial systems and user data integrity.