"Fix XSS vulnerability by sanitizing 'test' query parameter using htmlspecialchars in PHP"

[zeropath-ai-dev]

Summary

• The Vulnerability Description: This patch addresses a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability caused by the application's improper handling of user input. The 'test' query parameter was being directly echoed in the HTTP response without sanitization or escaping, allowing malicious scripts to execute in a user's browser.

• This Fix: The patch introduces proper escaping by using the htmlspecialchars() function in PHP to sanitize the 'test' query parameter before rendering it in the HTTP response. This ensures that malicious input is rendered harmless and cannot be executed as code.

• The Cause of the Issue: The vulnerability existed because user input passed through the 'test' query parameter was directly output to the browser without any filtering or escaping, leaving the application vulnerable to XSS attacks.

• The Patch Implementation: The code now wraps the 'test' query parameter with htmlspecialchars($_GET["test"], ENT_QUOTES, 'UTF-8'), which escapes special HTML characters (e.g., < becomes <) and uses UTF-8 encoding to ensure the proper handling of multibyte characters. This change neutralizes any injected script tags or malicious payloads.

Vulnerability Details

• Vulnerability Class: Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
• Severity: 5.3
• Affected File: test/index.php
• Vulnerable Lines: 3-3

Code Snippets

diff --git a/test/index.php b/test/index.php
index cd00388f..f6293fbb 100644
--- a/test/index.php
+++ b/test/index.php
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <?php
 
-echo $_GET["test"];
+echo htmlspecialchars($_GET["test"], ENT_QUOTES, 'UTF-8');
 
 ?>

How to Modify the Patch

You can modify this patch by using one of the two methods outlined below. We recommend using the @zeropath-ai-dev bot for updating the code. If you encounter any bugs or issues with the patch, please report them here.

Ask @zeropath-ai-dev!

To request modifications, please post a comment beginning with @zeropath-ai-dev and specify the changes required.

@zeropath-ai-dev will then implement the requested adjustments and commit them to the specified branch in this pull request. Our bot is capable of managing changes across multiple files and various development-related requests.

Manually Modify the Files

# Checkout created branch:
git checkout zvuln_fix_cross_site_scripting_xss_1738388041083523

# if vscode is installed run (or use your favorite editor / IDE):
code test/index.php

# Add, commit, and push changes:
git add -A
git commit -m "Update generated patch with x, y, and z changes."
git push zvuln_fix_cross_site_scripting_xss_1738388041083523