CVE-2020-24601 in Openfire
Summary
by MITRE
In Ignite Realtime Openfire 4.5.1 a Stored Cross-site Vulnerability allows an attacker to execute an arbitrary malicious URL via the vulnerable POST parameter searchName", "alias" in the import certificate trusted page
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/02/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-24601 represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw within Ignite Realtime Openfire version 4.5.1, specifically affecting the certificate import functionality. This vulnerability exists in the trusted certificate import page where the application fails to properly sanitize user input submitted through the searchName and alias parameters in POST requests. The flaw allows an attacker to inject malicious JavaScript code that gets stored within the application's database and subsequently executed when other users view the certificate information, making this a persistent and dangerous security weakness.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the certificate management module. When administrators or users submit certificate details through the import interface, the application processes the searchName and alias parameters without adequate sanitization measures. This oversight creates an environment where malicious actors can embed script tags or other harmful code that gets stored in the system's certificate repository. The vulnerability specifically impacts the certificate import trusted page, which serves as a critical administrative interface for managing SSL/TLS certificates used by the XMPP server infrastructure.
The operational impact of this stored cross-site scripting vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement. An attacker could potentially execute malicious scripts that redirect users to phishing sites, steal session cookies, or even establish persistent backdoors within the internal network. Given that Openfire serves as an enterprise-grade instant messaging server, the compromise of certificate management functionality could lead to broader network infiltration, as certificate trust relationships are fundamental to secure communications. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that once injected, malicious code persists until manually removed from the certificate repository, creating an ongoing security risk that could affect multiple users over extended periods.
Organizations using affected Openfire versions should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of the software, implementing proper input validation at the application level, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and could be leveraged by threat actors following ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter execution. Administrative users should also be educated about the risks of importing untrusted certificates and the importance of verifying certificate integrity before adding them to the trusted certificate store. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers and regular security scanning of certificate repositories can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts.