CVE-2014-2939 in Alfresco
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Alfresco Enterprise before 4.1.6.13 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) an XHTML document, (2) a <% tag, or (3) the taskId parameter to share/page/task-edit.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/23/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-2939 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness affecting Alfresco Enterprise versions prior to 4.1.6.13. This flaw exists within the content management system's handling of user input across multiple attack vectors, creating significant security risks for organizations relying on this platform for document management and collaboration. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it within web pages. The affected components include XHTML document processing, JSP tag handling, and task management interfaces, each presenting distinct pathways for malicious actors to execute XSS attacks against unsuspecting users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through three primary exploitation methods that leverage different aspects of the Alfresco application's processing pipeline. The first vector involves XHTML document handling where improperly sanitized user content can be injected into XML-based documents, allowing attackers to execute malicious scripts when these documents are rendered in web browsers. The second attack pathway targets the <% tag processing, which indicates a failure in handling server-side include directives that could be manipulated to inject malicious code into the application's response. The third and most direct vector targets the taskId parameter within the share/page/task-edit endpoint, where attackers can inject malicious payloads through URL parameters that are not properly validated or escaped before being rendered in the user interface. This particular endpoint represents a high-value target as it provides access to task management functionality that many users interact with regularly.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to perform a range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation within the Alfresco environment. When exploited successfully, these XSS vulnerabilities allow attackers to impersonate legitimate users, access restricted content, modify documents, and potentially gain deeper access to the underlying system. The vulnerability affects the core collaborative features of Alfresco, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where multiple users interact with shared documents and task management systems. Organizations using these vulnerable versions face significant risks of data compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive business information, as the attack surface includes not just the web interface but also the underlying document repository and workflow processes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-2939 should focus on immediate remediation through the application of the vendor-provided security patches and updates to Alfresco Enterprise 4.1.6.13 or later versions. System administrators must implement comprehensive input validation mechanisms that sanitize all user-supplied data across all entry points, particularly those handling XML content, JSP tags, and URL parameters. The implementation of proper output encoding for all dynamic content prevents malicious scripts from executing even when injected into the system. Organizations should also consider deploying web application firewalls and content security policies to add additional layers of protection. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which describes cross-site scripting flaws, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566 for credential access through malicious web content. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar issues in other enterprise applications and to ensure that input validation and output encoding mechanisms remain robust against evolving attack techniques.