CVE-2022-25014 in Ice Hrm
Summary
by MITRE • 02/28/2022
Ice Hrm 30.0.0.OS was discovered to contain a reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability via the "m" parameter in the Dashboard of the current user. This vulnerability allows attackers to compromise session credentials via user interaction with a crafted link.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/04/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-25014 affects Ice Hrm version 30.0.0.OS and represents a critical reflected cross-site scripting flaw that resides within the application's dashboard functionality. This vulnerability specifically targets the "m" parameter, which is processed during user session handling and dashboard rendering. The flaw enables attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, creating a significant security risk that can be exploited through social engineering tactics. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability, which occurs when a web application includes untrusted data in the immediate response to a request without proper validation or encoding. This weakness allows attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of a victim's browser session, potentially compromising user credentials and session data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be leveraged to steal session cookies, hijack user accounts, and potentially escalate privileges within the application. Attackers can craft malicious links containing malicious payloads that, when clicked by authenticated users, execute scripts in their browsers and can be used to capture session tokens or redirect users to malicious sites. The vulnerability's exploitation requires user interaction with a crafted link, which aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for Phishing, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may be targeted through spear-phishing campaigns. The reflected nature of the XSS vulnerability means that the malicious script is reflected back to the user through the web application's response, making it difficult to detect and prevent without proper input sanitization mechanisms.
Security practitioners should immediately implement comprehensive mitigations including input validation, output encoding, and the implementation of Content Security Policies to prevent unauthorized script execution. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper parameter validation and the need for robust input sanitization across all web application components. Organizations should deploy web application firewalls and implement proper security headers to reduce the attack surface. The flaw also highlights the necessity of regular security assessments and code reviews to identify similar vulnerabilities in application logic, particularly in parameter handling and user session management components. Additionally, user education and awareness programs should be strengthened to help users recognize and avoid potentially malicious links that could exploit this vulnerability. The presence of such a flaw in a human resources management system particularly raises concerns about the exposure of sensitive employee data and the potential for privilege escalation attacks that could compromise entire organizational networks.