CVE-2022-1293 in Citadel Web Client
Summary
by MITRE • 08/02/2022
The embedded neutralization of Script-Related HTML Tag, was by-passed in the case of some extra conditions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/30/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-1293 represents a critical weakness in HTML tag neutralization mechanisms within web applications. This flaw specifically targets the sanitization processes designed to prevent cross-site scripting attacks by neutralizing potentially dangerous script-related HTML elements. The vulnerability manifests when certain conditional scenarios are met, allowing attackers to bypass the intended security controls that should prevent malicious script execution. The issue stems from inadequate validation logic that fails to account for all possible variations of HTML tag structures that could be used to circumvent sanitization routines.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the exploitation of conditional logic flaws in HTML sanitization libraries or frameworks. When processing user input containing HTML content, the system should consistently neutralize or remove script-related tags such as script, iframe, object, embed, and other potentially malicious elements. However, under specific additional conditions that are not properly accounted for in the sanitization logic, these protective measures can be circumvented. The bypass occurs when the sanitization routine encounters HTML structures that fall outside the expected parameter ranges or when additional attributes or nested elements create scenarios where the neutralization process fails to properly identify and neutralize the malicious content.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security risks for web applications that rely on HTML sanitization for XSS protection. Attackers can leverage this bypass to inject malicious scripts that may execute in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or privilege escalation. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates silently without triggering standard security alerts, making detection and mitigation more challenging. The impact extends beyond simple script injection to potentially enable more sophisticated attack vectors such as CSRF attacks or data exfiltration, depending on the application's functionality and user permissions.
Organizations should implement comprehensive mitigation strategies that include updating to patched versions of affected libraries and frameworks, implementing additional input validation layers, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious HTML content patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and may map to ATT&CK techniques such as T1059.007 for scripting and T1566 for phishing with malicious content. Security teams should also consider implementing runtime application self-protection mechanisms and regular security testing to identify similar bypass conditions that may exist in other parts of the application's input handling processes. The remediation approach should include thorough code reviews focusing on HTML sanitization logic and comprehensive testing of edge cases to ensure all potential bypass scenarios are properly addressed.