CVE-2019-11033 in HCM
Summary
by MITRE
Applaud HCM 4.0.42+ uses HTML tag fields for HTML inputs in a form. This leads to an XSS vulnerability with a payload starting with the <iframe./> substring.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/13/2020
The CVE-2019-11033 vulnerability affects Applaud HCM version 4.0.42 and earlier, representing a cross-site scripting flaw that emerges from improper handling of HTML tag fields within form inputs. This vulnerability stems from the application's insecure processing of user-supplied HTML content, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary scripts in the context of other users' browsers. The specific payload pattern beginning with <iframe./> indicates that attackers can leverage iframe elements to manipulate the application's HTML rendering behavior and potentially redirect users to malicious sites or extract sensitive information.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the application's failure to properly sanitize or escape HTML input fields during form processing. When users submit form data containing HTML tags, the system does not adequately validate or filter these inputs before rendering them back to other users. This allows attackers to craft payloads that exploit the browser's HTML parsing mechanisms, particularly when the iframe tag is used in conjunction with other HTML attributes that can trigger script execution. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-79, which addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and specifically relates to the improper neutralization of input during web page generation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to the application's users and the organization's security posture. An attacker could leverage this flaw to steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or execute malicious scripts that compromise user accounts. The impact extends beyond individual user sessions to potentially affect the entire HCM system's integrity, as successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive human capital management data. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical skill and can be automated, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently interact with web forms containing HTML input fields.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-11033 should prioritize input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations must implement comprehensive HTML sanitization libraries that strip or escape dangerous HTML tags and attributes from user inputs before processing or storing them. The application should employ context-aware output encoding, ensuring that any user-supplied content is properly escaped based on the context where it will be rendered. Additionally, implementing a content security policy that restricts iframe loading and script execution can provide defense-in-depth protection. Regular security testing including automated scanning and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other input fields. The remediation efforts should align with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for privilege escalation, and T1566, covering social engineering tactics that could leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive organizational data.