# CVE-2023-1851: SourceCodester Online Payroll System employee_add.php cross site scripting

> An attacker can inject malicious scripts into the employee addition page of the Online Payroll System, potentially compromising user sessions.

- **Severity:** Low 3.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 5 Apr 2023
- **Updated:** 10 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-jm2w-c893-7fjm

## What is CVE-2023-1851?

CVE-2023-1851 is a low-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in SourceCodester Online Payroll System, published on 5 Apr 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

A vulnerability classified as problematic has been found in SourceCodester Online Payroll System 1.0. This affects an unknown part of the file /admin/employee_add.php. The manipulation of the argument of 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. The associated identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-224991.

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-1851?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Online Payroll System Project Online Payroll System.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-1851?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-1851 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-1851 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-1851 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in SourceCodester Online Payroll System

- [CVE-2023-1845](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-1845/): SourceCodester Online Payroll System employee_row.php sql injection (medium 6.3)
- [CVE-2023-1846](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-1846/): SourceCodester Online Payroll System deduction_row.php sql injection (medium 6.3)
- [CVE-2023-1847](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-1847/): SourceCodester Online Payroll System attendance.php sql injection (medium 6.3)
- [CVE-2023-1848](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-1848/): SourceCodester Online Payroll System attendance_row.php sql injection (medium 6.3)
- [CVE-2023-1849](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-1849/): SourceCodester Online Payroll System cashadvance_row.php sql injection (medium 6.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-1851 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-1851 is a low-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in SourceCodester Online Payroll System, published on 5 Apr 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-1851 exists.

Affected product: SourceCodester Online Payroll System. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-1851/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-1851/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-1851
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-1851
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-1851

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-1851/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.