CVE-2024-9321 in Online Railway Reservation System
Summary
by MITRE • 09/29/2024
A vulnerability was found in SourceCodester Online Railway Reservation System 1.0 and classified as critical. This issue affects some unknown processing of the file /admin/inquiries/view_details.php. The manipulation of the argument id leads to improper access controls. The attack may be initiated remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/02/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-9321 represents a critical access control flaw within the SourceCodester Online Railway Reservation System version 1.0. This system, designed for railway reservation management, contains a significant security weakness that allows unauthorized users to bypass legitimate access controls through manipulation of the id parameter in the administrative inquiries module. The affected file /admin/inquiries/view_details.php serves as the entry point for this exploitation vector, making it a prime target for attackers seeking unauthorized administrative access to the railway reservation system.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate input validation and authorization checks within the application's administrative interface. When a user submits a request to view inquiry details through the view_details.php script, the system fails to properly verify whether the requesting user possesses appropriate administrative privileges before processing the id parameter. This improper access control mechanism creates a direct pathway for attackers to manipulate the id argument and access records they should not be authorized to view. The vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration classification of CWE-285, which specifically addresses improper authorization issues in software applications. The flaw essentially allows for privilege escalation through parameter manipulation, where an attacker can simply modify the id value in the URL or request parameters to access other users' or administrative records.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for any organization utilizing this railway reservation system. Remote exploitation means that attackers can leverage this flaw from any location without requiring physical access to the system or network infrastructure. Successful exploitation could result in unauthorized access to sensitive passenger data, reservation details, administrative configurations, and potentially financial information within the railway reservation system. The disclosure of this exploit to the public significantly increases the risk of widespread compromise, as malicious actors can readily implement the attack without requiring advanced technical skills. This vulnerability directly maps to the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1078 technique for Valid Accounts, where attackers leverage compromised credentials or exploit weaknesses to gain unauthorized access to administrative functions.
Organizations using this system should immediately implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to address this critical vulnerability. The primary remediation involves implementing proper input validation and authorization checks within the view_details.php script, ensuring that all requests are authenticated and authorized before processing any id parameter. The system should enforce strict access controls that verify administrative privileges for each user session and validate that the requested record belongs to the authenticated user or that the user possesses appropriate authorization levels. Additionally, implementing proper logging mechanisms for administrative access attempts and establishing rate limiting for access requests can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be configured to restrict access to administrative interfaces to trusted IP addresses only, while also implementing web application firewalls to monitor and filter malicious requests targeting this specific vulnerability. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar access control weaknesses throughout the application. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices and proper authentication mechanisms, as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten security risks, particularly in addressing improper access control scenarios that can lead to privilege escalation and unauthorized data access.