CVE-2022-45086 in Energy and Control Systems Smartpower Web
Summary
by MITRE • 02/12/2023
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Group Arge Energy and Control Systems Smartpower Web allows Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). This issue affects Smartpower Web: before 23.01.01.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/18/2026
This vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw that undermines the security posture of the Smartpower Web application developed by Group Arge Energy and Control Systems. The issue manifests during the web page generation process where input validation and sanitization mechanisms fail to properly neutralize malicious user-supplied data. This weakness creates an exploitable condition where attackers can inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive information or system compromise.
The technical flaw resides in the improper handling of user input within the web application's rendering pipeline. When the Smartpower Web application processes data from external sources, it fails to adequately sanitize or escape special characters that could be interpreted as executable code by web browsers. This allows malicious actors to inject script payloads through various input vectors including form fields, URL parameters, or API endpoints that the application uses to generate dynamic web content. The vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 23.01.01, indicating that this was a known issue that required a software update to address the underlying input validation deficiencies.
The operational impact of this XSS vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking. Attackers could leverage this weakness to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of authenticated user sessions, potentially escalating privileges or gaining access to restricted functionalities. The affected Smartpower Web application likely handles sensitive industrial control data, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for operational technology environments. An attacker could manipulate the web interface to display malicious content, redirect users to phishing sites, or even exploit the application's administrative functions if the XSS payload executes with elevated privileges.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase. The most effective immediate solution involves upgrading to version 23.01.01 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the input sanitization issues. Additionally, developers should implement strict content security policies, employ proper HTML encoding for all dynamic content, and utilize parameterized queries to prevent script injection. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of their industrial control systems. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and follows patterns commonly seen in ATT&CK technique T1566 related to spearphishing attachments and links that could leverage such web application vulnerabilities.