CVE-2021-37412 in TechRadar App
Summary
by MITRE • 09/16/2021
The TechRadar app 1.1 for Confluence Server allows XSS via the Title field of a Radar.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-37412 represents a cross-site scripting flaw within the TechRadar app version 1.1 for Confluence Server. This security weakness specifically manifests through the Title field of a Radar component, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject harmful scripts into the application's web interface. The TechRadar app serves as a visualization tool within Atlassian Confluence Server environments, enabling teams to track technology trends and radar data. When users input data into the Title field without proper sanitization, the application fails to adequately validate or escape the input before rendering it in the browser context, thereby exposing the system to potential XSS attacks.
This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is a fundamental web application security weakness that occurs when an application includes untrusted data in a web page without proper validation or escaping. The specific nature of this flaw allows attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of the victim's browser session, potentially leading to unauthorized actions performed on behalf of the user. The impact is particularly concerning within Confluence Server environments where multiple users collaborate and share sensitive information, as the vulnerability could be exploited to hijack sessions, steal credentials, or manipulate data displayed to other users. The attack vector requires minimal user interaction since the vulnerability exists in a field that is likely frequently used and displayed prominently within the application interface.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-37412 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable more sophisticated attacks within the Confluence ecosystem. An attacker could craft malicious Title inputs that, when viewed by other users, would execute scripts that steal cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or even modify content within the Confluence environment. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on Confluence Server for documentation and collaboration, as it undermines the trust and integrity of the platform. The attack scenario typically involves an attacker creating a maliciously crafted radar entry with a Title field containing embedded XSS payloads, which are then executed when other users view the radar component. The vulnerability demonstrates a critical gap in input validation and output encoding practices, highlighting the importance of implementing comprehensive security measures throughout the application's data flow.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the latest version of the TechRadar app where the XSS flaw has been addressed, applying proper input sanitization and output encoding to all user-provided data, and implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution. System administrators should also conduct thorough security reviews of all installed Confluence plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities, as this type of flaw often indicates broader security gaps in application design. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that all user inputs are properly sanitized before being rendered in the browser context, with particular attention to fields that are displayed in prominent locations such as titles, descriptions, and other metadata. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring systems to detect and prevent exploitation attempts, while also ensuring that users are educated about the risks of interacting with untrusted content within collaborative environments.