CVE-2022-46905 in HCM
Summary
by MITRE • 12/13/2022
Insufficient processing of user input in WebSoft HCM 2021.2.3.327 allows an unauthenticated attacker to inject arbitrary HTML tags into the page processed by the user's browser, including scripts in the JavaScript programming language, which leads to Reflected XSS.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/23/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-46905 resides within WebSoft HCM version 2021.2.3.327, a human capital management software solution that processes user input without adequate sanitization mechanisms. This weakness creates a significant security exposure that enables malicious actors to inject arbitrary HTML content into web pages viewed by legitimate users. The flaw specifically manifests as a reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability, where attacker-controlled input is immediately reflected back to the user's browser without proper encoding or validation. The vulnerability affects the application's handling of user-supplied data within web requests, particularly in parameters or input fields that are directly rendered in the HTML output without sufficient security controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices within the WebSoft HCM application. When users submit data through various web forms or URL parameters, the system fails to properly sanitize this information before incorporating it into dynamic web content. This insufficient processing creates an environment where malicious scripts can be embedded within HTML tags, particularly within JavaScript contexts, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code within the victim's browser context. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious payload must be crafted to target specific user sessions or requests, typically through phishing emails or compromised links that direct users to malicious URLs containing the XSS payload.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-46905 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as reflected XSS vulnerabilities can enable sophisticated attack chains that compromise user sessions, steal sensitive information, or redirect users to malicious sites. An unauthenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute malicious JavaScript code in the context of a victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or the execution of unauthorized commands within the application. The vulnerability's accessibility to unauthenticated users significantly amplifies its risk profile, as attackers require no prior credentials or privileged access to exploit the flaw. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where users may be exposed to phishing attacks or where the application is accessible to external users without proper network segmentation.
Security mitigations for CVE-2022-46905 should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data processing pipeline. The most effective remediation involves applying proper HTML escaping and JavaScript encoding to all user-supplied input before rendering it in web pages, ensuring that any potentially malicious content is neutralized before execution. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can provide an additional layer of protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded and executed. Organizations should also consider implementing proper input sanitization libraries and conducting regular security code reviews to identify similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and may map to ATT&CK technique T1531 which involves the use of malicious HTML or JavaScript to compromise user sessions. Regular security assessments and application security testing should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities from persisting in the application's codebase and to ensure that input validation mechanisms are consistently applied across all user-facing interfaces.