CVE-2022-1588 in contao
Summary
by MITRE • 05/05/2022
Cross-site Scripting (XSS) in GitHub repository contao/contao prior to 4.13.3. Attacker can execute Malicious JS in Application :)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/01/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-1588 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Contao content management system version 4.13.2 and earlier. This vulnerability exists in the GitHub repository contao/contao and allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into the application, potentially compromising user sessions and data integrity. The flaw specifically affects the application's handling of user input within certain administrative interfaces and content management features.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within Contao's administrative panels and content rendering components. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that bypass the application's sanitization mechanisms, particularly when processing user-submitted data in form fields, URL parameters, or content management sections. The vulnerability manifests when the application fails to properly escape or validate user-provided content before rendering it in web pages, creating opportunities for persistent or reflected XSS attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-1588 extends beyond simple script execution, as successful exploitation can lead to complete session hijacking, data theft, and privilege escalation within the Contao application. An attacker could potentially gain administrative access to affected systems, modify content, steal sensitive information, or redirect users to malicious websites. The vulnerability affects both authenticated and unauthenticated attack vectors, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by anyone with access to the vulnerable application. This weakness directly aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting vulnerabilities as a fundamental web application security flaw.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-1588 require immediate application updates to Contao version 4.13.3 or later, which includes proper input validation and output encoding fixes. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input sanitization at multiple layers, including application-level validation, proper HTML escaping, and Content Security Policy implementation. Security teams must conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of all Contao installations, review access controls, and monitor for suspicious activities. Additionally, regular security updates and patch management processes should be enforced to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the future. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1566, specifically targeting the execution of malicious code through web application vulnerabilities, emphasizing the importance of robust application security controls and user input validation.