CVE-2024-7500: Airline Reservation System RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-7500 Overview

CVE-2024-7500 is an unrestricted file upload vulnerability in itsourcecode Airline Reservation System 1.0. The flaw resides in the save_settings function of admin/admin_class.php, where the img parameter accepts attacker-controlled input without proper validation. An authenticated remote attacker can upload arbitrary files, including server-side scripts, through the affected endpoint. The vulnerability has been publicly disclosed and assigned VulDB identifier 273626. It maps to CWE-434 (Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type).

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers can upload malicious files via the img parameter, potentially leading to web shell deployment and remote code execution on the hosting server.

Affected Products

• itsourcecode Airline Reservation System 1.0
• Component: admin/admin_class.php (save_settings function)
• Vendor identifier: angeljudesuarez airline_reservation_system

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-08-06 - CVE-2024-7500 published to NVD
• 2024-09-11 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-7500

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability exists in the administrative settings handler of the Airline Reservation System. The save_settings function in admin/admin_class.php processes file uploads through the img parameter without validating the file extension, MIME type, or content signature. This allows an attacker to submit executable PHP files in place of expected image files.

Once uploaded, the file is stored within the web root and remains accessible via a predictable URL. An attacker can then request the uploaded file, causing the PHP interpreter to execute the embedded code. The issue is classified under [CWE-434] because the application accepts files of dangerous types without restriction.

Exploitation requires low-level authentication to reach the administrative endpoint, but no user interaction. The attack surface is reachable over the network, which makes Internet-facing deployments particularly exposed.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing server-side validation in the save_settings upload handler. The application trusts the client-supplied filename and content, never checking against an allowlist of image extensions or verifying file magic bytes. Storage in a web-accessible directory compounds the issue by making the uploaded payload directly executable.

Attack Vector

An attacker with access to the admin panel submits a crafted multipart request to the settings endpoint. The img field carries a PHP payload with an .php extension or a double extension such as shell.php.jpg. After upload, the attacker requests the file path, triggering server-side execution and gaining a foothold within the application context.

No verified proof-of-concept code is published in the referenced advisories. Technical details are documented in the GitHub CVE Documentation and VulDB entry #273626.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-7500

Indicators of Compromise

• New files with executable extensions (.php, .phtml, .phar) appearing in upload directories used by the Airline Reservation System
• Web server access logs showing POST requests to admin/admin_class.php with save_settings action followed by GET requests to newly created files
• Outbound connections originating from the web server process to unfamiliar hosts shortly after admin settings updates

Detection Strategies

• Monitor file integrity on web root directories and alert on the creation of script files in image upload paths
• Inspect HTTP request bodies for multipart uploads where the img field carries non-image content types or PHP tags
• Correlate administrative authentication events with subsequent file write operations from the web server user

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose access logging on the application's admin endpoints and forward logs to a centralized analytics platform
• Baseline normal upload behavior and alert on uploads outside expected file types or sizes
• Track process execution from web server accounts to detect command shells spawned by uploaded scripts

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-7500

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the admin/ directory to trusted IP ranges or place it behind a VPN until a fix is deployed
• Audit upload directories for unauthorized PHP or script files and remove any suspicious artifacts
• Rotate administrative credentials, since exploitation requires authenticated access to the settings endpoint

Patch Information

No vendor patch is referenced in the available advisories at the time of publication. Operators should monitor the VulDB advisory and the project repository for updates. Until a fix is released, mitigations focus on restricting access and hardening the upload handler.

Workarounds

• Add server-side validation in save_settings to verify file extension against an allowlist such as .jpg, .jpeg, .png, and reject all others
• Validate uploaded file magic bytes to confirm the content matches a permitted image format
• Store uploaded files outside the web root or in a directory configured to deny script execution via web server rules
• Rename uploaded files to non-executable extensions and randomized identifiers before persisting them

# Apache configuration example - deny script execution in uploads directory
<Directory "/var/www/airline_reservation/uploads">
    php_flag engine off
    AddType text/plain .php .phtml .phar .pl .py .jsp .asp .sh .cgi
    <FilesMatch "\.(php|phtml|phar|pl|py|jsp|asp|sh|cgi)$">
        Require all denied
    </FilesMatch>
</Directory>