CVE-2022-24864 in Origin Protocol
Summary
by MITRE • 04/20/2022
Origin Protocol is a blockchain based project. The Origin Protocol project website allows for malicious users to inject malicious Javascript via a POST request to `/presale/join`. User-controlled data is passed with no sanitization to SendGrid and injected into an email that is delivered to the [email protected] If the email recipient is using an email program that is susceptible to XSS, then that email recipient will receive an email that may contain malicious XSS. Regardless if the email recipient’s mail program has vulnerabilities or not, the hacker can at the very least inject malicious HTML that modifies the body content of the email. There are currently no known workarounds.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/28/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-24864 represents a critical server-side template injection flaw within the Origin Protocol's presale joining functionality. This issue manifests through the `/presale/join` endpoint which accepts POST requests containing user-supplied data that flows directly into email generation processes without any sanitization or validation measures. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input processing where malicious actors can manipulate the request parameters to inject arbitrary javascript code and html content that gets embedded into automated email communications sent to the project team's administrative address.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a classic case of insecure data handling where user-controllable inputs are directly incorporated into email templates without proper sanitization mechanisms. When legitimate users submit data through the presale joining form, the system fails to validate or sanitize the incoming parameters before forwarding them to the SendGrid email service. This creates a scenario where malicious payloads can be embedded within the email content, potentially exploiting vulnerabilities in email clients that support javascript execution or simply modifying the email body content in ways that could deceive recipients or manipulate the presentation of information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple content manipulation as it provides attackers with a vector for potential phishing campaigns and social engineering attacks. Even when email clients do not execute javascript, the ability to inject malicious html content allows attackers to modify the visual appearance of emails, potentially making them appear more legitimate or redirecting user attention to specific elements. The vulnerability affects the project's administrative email address at [email protected] which likely serves as a critical communication channel for presale participants and project stakeholders, making it a high-value target for exploitation.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into web pages or emails. The attack pattern follows the typical methodology described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1566 - Phishing and T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution, where attackers leverage web application vulnerabilities to deliver malicious content to targeted users. The lack of any known workarounds makes this vulnerability particularly concerning as it represents a persistent risk that cannot be mitigated through temporary user behavior changes or client-side protections.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability requires immediate implementation of proper input validation and sanitization mechanisms throughout the data processing pipeline. All user-controllable inputs must be rigorously validated against expected formats and sanitized to remove or encode potentially dangerous characters before being incorporated into email templates. The system should implement a whitelist-based approach for email content generation and utilize secure template rendering libraries that automatically escape user data. Additionally, the project should consider implementing Content Security Policy headers and email security measures to further protect against potential exploitation attempts, while establishing proper monitoring and alerting systems to detect anomalous email content patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.