CVE-2024-9299 in Online Railway Reservation System
Summary
by MITRE • 09/28/2024
A vulnerability classified as problematic has been found in SourceCodester Online Railway Reservation System 1.0. This affects an unknown part of the file /?page=reserve. The manipulation of the argument First Name/Middle Name/Last Name leads to cross site scripting. It is possible to initiate the attack remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/09/2025
This vulnerability resides within the SourceCodester Online Railway Reservation System version 1.0, specifically targeting the reservation functionality accessible through the URL parameter ?page=reserve. The issue manifests as a cross-site scripting vulnerability that occurs when user input is improperly handled during the reservation process. The affected parameters include First Name, Middle Name, and Last Name fields, which serve as entry points for malicious payload injection. This represents a classic client-side vulnerability that allows attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of other users' browsers, potentially compromising their sessions and data integrity.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the web application's reservation handling mechanism. When users submit reservation details containing malicious scripts in the name fields, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape these inputs before rendering them back to the user interface. This omission creates a persistent XSS vulnerability that can be exploited through a simple web request manipulation. The vulnerability operates under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws, where the application does not adequately validate or sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no authentication and can be executed remotely through web browser interactions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, and potentially redirect victims to malicious websites. An attacker could craft a payload that, when submitted by a victim, would execute malicious JavaScript code in the victim's browser, potentially stealing cookies, session tokens, or personal information. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in the context of a railway reservation system where users may have access to sensitive personal and travel information, making the potential for data theft and identity compromise significant. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1566.001 (Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment) and T1531 (Account Access Removal) through the session hijacking capabilities it enables.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data flow. The system must sanitize all user inputs, particularly those used in dynamic page generation, through proper HTML entity encoding before rendering. Implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide an additional layer of protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be executed. The application should also employ proper input validation to reject or strip potentially malicious characters and patterns. Regular security code reviews and automated vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify similar issues in other parts of the application. Additionally, the development team should adopt secure coding practices as outlined in OWASP Top 10 and ensure that all user inputs are properly escaped or validated before being processed or displayed within the web interface.