CVE-2023-6431 in Online Inventory Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 11/30/2023
A vulnerability has been discovered in BigProf Online Invoicing System 2.6, which does not sufficiently encode user-controlled input, resulting in persistent XSS through /inventory/categories_view.php, in the FirstRecord parameter. Exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an attacking user to store dangerous JavaScript payloads on the system that will be triggered when the page loads.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-6431 resides within the BigProf Online Invoicing System version 2.6, representing a critical security flaw that compromises the integrity of web applications through insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms. This vulnerability specifically targets the /inventory/categories_view.php endpoint where the FirstRecord parameter fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data, creating an environment susceptible to persistent cross-site scripting attacks. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental weakness in the application's security architecture that directly violates established web application security principles and industry best practices for preventing XSS vulnerabilities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to adequately encode or escape user-controlled input before incorporating it into dynamic web page content. When an attacker submits malicious JavaScript code through the FirstRecord parameter, the system stores this input without proper sanitization, allowing the payload to persist within the application's database or configuration files. This persistent nature means that subsequent page loads will execute the stored JavaScript code within the context of legitimate user sessions, effectively enabling attackers to perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness occurring when an application includes untrusted data in a new web page without proper validation or escaping, or when it includes untrusted data in a web page in a context that allows script execution.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-6431 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it provides attackers with persistent access to the affected system through legitimate user sessions. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to execute malicious scripts that harvest session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or even perform administrative actions within the invoicing system. The persistent nature of the vulnerability means that once exploited, the malicious payloads will continue to execute whenever the vulnerable page is accessed, potentially affecting multiple users over extended periods. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which covers phishing with malicious attachments and links, as attackers could craft malicious payloads that would be executed when legitimate users view inventory categories, making the attack vector both stealthy and persistent.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-6431 should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase, particularly at the point where user-supplied data is processed and rendered. Organizations should immediately implement proper HTML escaping and encoding for all user-controllable parameters, ensuring that any data submitted through the FirstRecord parameter is sanitized before storage or rendering. The fix should incorporate context-specific encoding based on the data's intended use within the application, following the principle of least privilege and defense in depth. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers, regular security code reviews, and automated vulnerability scanning can significantly reduce the risk of similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and conducting regular penetration testing to identify and remediate such flaws before they can be exploited in the wild, aligning with industry standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks.