CVE-2024-33990 in School Event Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 08/06/2024
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in School Event Management System affecting version 1.0. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted javascript payload to an authenticated user and partially take over their browser session via the 'id' and 'view' parameters in '/user/index.php'.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/15/2025
The Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-33990 represents a critical security flaw within the School Event Management System version 1.0 that exposes authenticated users to potential session hijacking attacks. This vulnerability manifests through improper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web application's user interface. The flaw specifically affects the '/user/index.php' endpoint where the 'id' and 'view' parameters fail to adequately sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it in the browser context. The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is processed without proper validation or encoding, allowing malicious scripts to be executed in the context of a victim's browser session.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious javascript payload and delivers it through the vulnerable parameters. When an authenticated user accesses the compromised endpoint with these malicious parameters, the system fails to properly escape or encode the input data before displaying it to the user. This creates an environment where the browser executes the injected javascript code as if it originated from a legitimate source. The vulnerability specifically targets authenticated sessions, meaning that successful exploitation could allow an attacker to partially takeover the victim's browser session, potentially enabling actions such as viewing restricted content, modifying user preferences, or performing unauthorized operations within the application's context. The attack vector relies on social engineering techniques where users must be tricked into clicking malicious links or visiting compromised web pages containing the malicious payload.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution to encompass potential session compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive educational data. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could access other users' session cookies, potentially gaining unauthorized access to their accounts and the associated privileges within the school event management system. The system's authentication state could be manipulated to perform actions that the legitimate user would not normally be authorized to perform, including viewing confidential event details, modifying event schedules, or accessing user management functions. This type of vulnerability particularly threatens educational institutions where sensitive student information, parent communications, and administrative data may be stored within the system. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the application's user data, potentially leading to unauthorized information disclosure and service disruption.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-33990 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase. The most effective immediate fix involves implementing strict parameter validation for all user-supplied inputs, particularly the 'id' and 'view' parameters in the '/user/index.php' endpoint. The application should employ context-specific output encoding techniques such as HTML entity encoding when displaying user-supplied data in web pages. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against script execution. The system should also implement proper session management practices including secure session cookie attributes and regular session validation. According to ATT&CK framework tactic T1531, this vulnerability falls under the category of "Credential Access" through session hijacking techniques, making it critical to address immediately. Regular security code reviews and input validation testing should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future releases, with particular attention to the application's handling of user-supplied parameters in dynamic web content generation.