CVE-2024-41242 in Responsive School Management System
Summary
by MITRE • 08/07/2024
A Reflected Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability was found in /smsa/student_login.php in Kashipara Responsive School Management System v3.2.0, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via "error" parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/15/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-41242 represents a critical reflected cross site scripting flaw within the Kashipara Responsive School Management System version 3.2.0. This security weakness specifically affects the /smsa/student_login.php endpoint and demonstrates a classic XSS attack vector that enables malicious actors to inject client-side scripts into web applications. The vulnerability manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize or validate user input submitted through the "error" parameter, creating an opportunity for attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of a victim's browser session.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the student login module. When the application processes the "error" parameter without adequate sanitization, it directly incorporates user-supplied data into the HTTP response without proper HTML escaping or context-appropriate encoding. This flaw allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that, when executed in a victim's browser, can perform actions such as stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or executing unauthorized commands on behalf of the authenticated user. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious script is reflected off the web server back to the user's browser, making it particularly dangerous as it requires no persistent storage of malicious content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can lead to complete session hijacking and unauthorized access to sensitive educational data. Attackers can exploit this flaw to impersonate legitimate users, access confidential student information, modify academic records, or gain administrative privileges within the school management system. The vulnerability affects the entire user base of the system, particularly students and staff members who may inadvertently click on malicious links or be subjected to social engineering attacks that leverage this XSS weakness. Given that this is a school management system, the potential for data breaches involving personal information, academic records, and institutional data creates significant compliance and privacy risks.
Security practitioners should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability, beginning with immediate input validation and output encoding measures. The recommended approach involves implementing strict parameter validation for all user-supplied inputs, including the "error" parameter, and ensuring all output is properly escaped using context-appropriate encoding mechanisms. The CWE-79 standard provides guidance for preventing cross site scripting vulnerabilities through proper input sanitization and output encoding practices. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional defense-in-depth mechanism to prevent unauthorized script execution even if the primary input validation fails. Organizations should also consider deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads attempting to exploit this vulnerability, while conducting thorough security testing including automated scanning and manual penetration testing to identify similar issues throughout the application codebase. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1566.001 for initial access through web application attacks, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security controls across multiple attack surfaces.