CVE-2022-40704 in phoronix-test-suite
Summary
by MITRE • 01/17/2023
A XSS vulnerability was found in phoromatic_r_add_test_details.php in phoronix-test-suite.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/29/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-40704 represents a cross-site scripting weakness discovered within the phoromatic_r_add_test_details.php component of the phoronix-test-suite software ecosystem. This particular vulnerability manifests in the web interface portion of the software that manages test details for the phoronix benchmarking suite. The phoronix-test-suite serves as a comprehensive platform for conducting and managing performance testing across various hardware and software configurations, making it a critical component in system optimization and benchmarking workflows. The affected file phoromatic_r_add_test_details.php specifically handles the addition and processing of test details within the phoromatic remote management system, which facilitates distributed testing across multiple systems.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the php script that processes user-supplied data for test details. When users submit test information through the web interface, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape special characters in the input fields before rendering them back to the browser. This allows malicious actors to inject crafted javascript payloads or other malicious content that executes within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability specifically affects the handling of parameters related to test descriptions, configuration settings, or other user-entered data fields that are subsequently displayed on the web interface without proper sanitization mechanisms. The flaw resides in the application's failure to implement proper context-aware output encoding, a fundamental security principle that should prevent malicious code execution through web interfaces.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption or display issues, as it provides attackers with the ability to execute arbitrary javascript code within the browser sessions of authenticated users. This creates a significant risk for users who have administrative privileges or access to sensitive benchmarking data, as attackers could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or modify test results to manipulate performance data. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the benchmarking environment, potentially compromising the reliability of test results and undermining trust in the entire phoronix-test-suite ecosystem. Given that phoronix-test-suite is commonly used in professional and research environments, the exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to data manipulation, unauthorized access to system resources, or disruption of legitimate testing operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-40704 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the affected php script. The recommended approach involves applying context-aware output encoding to all user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages, particularly for html content, javascript contexts, and attribute values. This aligns with the secure coding practices outlined in CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities through proper input sanitization and output encoding. Additionally, implementing a content security policy that restricts script execution and using proper parameterized queries for data handling would further strengthen the application's defenses. The vulnerability also relates to ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers social engineering through malicious content delivery, highlighting the importance of securing web interfaces against malicious payload injection. Organizations should ensure that all components of the phoronix-test-suite are updated to versions that address this specific vulnerability, and implement monitoring for suspicious activities that may indicate exploitation attempts.