CVE-2023-5930 in Simple Student Information System
Summary
by MITRE • 11/02/2023
A vulnerability was found in Campcodes Simple Student Information System 1.0. It has been declared as problematic. This vulnerability affects unknown code of the file /admin/students/manage_academic.php. The manipulation of the argument student_id leads to cross site scripting. The attack can be initiated remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. VDB-244330 is the identifier assigned to this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/30/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-5930 represents a critical cross site scripting flaw within the Campcodes Simple Student Information System version 1.0. This web application, designed for academic student management, contains a security weakness in the administrative student management component that exposes users to potential malicious attacks. The vulnerability specifically manifests in the /admin/students/manage_academic.php file where improper input validation allows malicious actors to inject harmful scripts into the application's response. The flaw occurs when the student_id parameter is manipulated, creating an avenue for attackers to execute malicious code within the context of other users' browsers. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which categorizes cross site scripting as a fundamental web application security weakness that enables attackers to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
The remote exploitation capability of this vulnerability significantly amplifies its potential impact as attackers can initiate malicious payloads from external systems without requiring physical access to the target network. The disclosure of the exploit details in VDB-244330 indicates that threat actors have already developed working methods to leverage this weakness, making the system immediately vulnerable to active attacks. The attack vector operates through standard web browser interactions where an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing crafted student_id parameters that, when executed by an authenticated administrator or user, will execute malicious JavaScript code in the victim's browser context. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes social engineering attacks that manipulate individuals to execute malicious code, and more specifically T1203 which involves the exploitation of web application vulnerabilities through browser-based attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-5930 extends beyond simple script execution as it provides attackers with potential access to sensitive academic data, user credentials, and system functionality within the student information system. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially escalate privileges, access confidential student records, modify academic information, or use the compromised session to perform unauthorized administrative actions. The vulnerability's presence in the administrative student management interface means that any authenticated user with access to this functionality could become a target for exploitation, potentially compromising the entire student database and academic records management system. Organizations using this software should immediately assess their exposure and implement mitigations to prevent unauthorized access to their student information systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate input validation and output encoding of all user-supplied data, particularly parameters used in dynamic content generation. The implementation of proper parameter validation for student_id values, including sanitization of special characters and enforcement of strict data type validation, would prevent the injection of malicious scripts. Additionally, the application should implement Content Security Policy headers to restrict script execution and prevent unauthorized code injection. Regular security audits and penetration testing of web applications should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities, while security updates and patches should be applied promptly when available. The system administrators should also implement proper access controls and monitoring to detect unusual activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and establish incident response procedures to address potential security breaches resulting from such vulnerabilities.