CVE-2010-4949 in FreiChatPure
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the (1) FreiChat component before 2.1.2 for Joomla! and the (2) FreiChatPure component before 1.2.2 for Joomla! allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML by entering it in an unspecified window.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/29/2025
The CVE-2010-4949 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting two Joomla being one of the most popular open-source CMS platforms.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when users interact with the affected chat components, specifically when entering data into input fields that are not properly sanitized or validated. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that, when executed, can perform actions such as stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious websites, or performing unauthorized actions on behalf of victims. The XSS flaw exists because the components fail to implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms, allowing untrusted data to be rendered as part of the web page content without adequate sanitization. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in web applications where users can create or modify content, as it can be leveraged to compromise the entire user base that interacts with the vulnerable component.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for Joomla! websites that utilize the affected FreiChat components, as it can be exploited by attackers to compromise user sessions and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. The impact extends beyond simple script injection, as successful exploitation can lead to complete session hijacking, data theft, and the potential for privilege escalation within the web application. Security researchers have noted that such vulnerabilities often serve as initial access points for more sophisticated attacks, as they can be used to establish persistent access or to deliver additional malware payloads. The vulnerability's exploitation is straightforward and does not require advanced technical skills, making it particularly dangerous in the threat landscape where automated scanning tools can quickly identify and exploit such flaws.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the patched versions of both FreiChat and FreiChatPure components, specifically versions 2.1.2 and 1.2.2 respectively, which contain the necessary security fixes. Additionally, administrators should implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms, ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being rendered in web pages. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to the T1059.007 technique related to script injection and T1566.001 for social engineering via web application vulnerabilities. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the web application stack, as XSS vulnerabilities often occur in multiple locations within complex web applications. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of keeping third-party components updated, as many XSS flaws in CMS platforms are introduced through outdated or unpatched plugins and modules.