CVE-2024-41346 in openflights
Summary
by MITRE • 08/29/2024
openflights commit 5234b5b is vulnerable to Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) via php/submit.php
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-41346 affects the openflights application at commit 5234b5b and represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the php/submit.php endpoint. This vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the application's web interface handling mechanism. The flaw allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into the application's response, which then executes in the context of other users' browsers when they interact with the affected page. The vulnerability specifically impacts the submission processing functionality where user inputs are not properly escaped or validated before being rendered back to the browser, creating an avenue for persistent or reflected XSS attacks that can compromise user sessions and data integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly sanitize user-supplied data within the php/submit.php script. When users submit data through the web interface, the application processes these inputs without adequate filtering mechanisms to prevent malicious script injection. This weakness enables attackers to craft malicious payloads that exploit the lack of proper HTML entity encoding or JavaScript context escaping in the response generation process. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter. The affected application architecture likely processes form submissions and directly incorporates user data into dynamic HTML content without proper security controls, creating a persistent risk that can be exploited through various attack vectors including social engineering or direct exploitation of the submission endpoint.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-41346 extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking, as it can enable sophisticated attack chains that compromise the entire web application ecosystem. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, modify page content, or even execute arbitrary commands on the victim's browser through advanced payload delivery methods. The vulnerability affects both authenticated and unauthenticated users who interact with the submission functionality, potentially allowing for privilege escalation or lateral movement within the application's user base. Organizations relying on this application face significant risks including data breaches, unauthorized access to sensitive information, and potential compromise of user accounts that could lead to further exploitation within network boundaries. The vulnerability's persistence nature means that once exploited, it can continue to affect users until properly patched, creating ongoing security exposure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-41346 require immediate implementation of comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data flow. The primary remediation involves implementing proper HTML entity encoding for all user-supplied data before rendering it in web responses, utilizing established libraries or built-in functions that automatically escape special characters in JavaScript and HTML contexts. Organizations should also implement Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and prevent unauthorized code injection, while ensuring that all user inputs undergo rigorous validation before processing. The fix should include implementing proper sanitization routines that remove or escape potentially dangerous characters and patterns commonly used in XSS attacks, including but not limited to script tags, event handlers, and various encoding methods. Additionally, regular security testing including automated scanning and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components, and the application should be updated to the latest secure version that addresses this specific flaw. The implementation should follow OWASP Top Ten security guidelines and incorporate defense-in-depth strategies to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other parts of the web application infrastructure.