CVE-2022-4692 in memos
Summary
by MITRE • 12/23/2022
Cross-site Scripting (XSS) - Stored in GitHub repository usememos/memos prior to 0.9.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/23/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-4692 represents a stored cross-site scripting flaw within the usememos/memos repository software prior to version 0.9.0. This issue stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it within web application interfaces. The vulnerability manifests when malicious actors inject malicious scripts into application inputs that are subsequently stored and executed in the context of other users' browsers. This particular flaw falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-site Scripting, specifically classified as stored XSS due to the persistence of malicious payloads within the application's database or storage mechanisms. The vulnerability impacts the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system by potentially enabling unauthorized access to user sessions, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the memos application processes user-generated content without sufficient sanitization of HTML and JavaScript elements. Attackers can craft malicious payloads containing script tags or event handlers that get stored in the application's backend storage system. When other users view the affected content, their browsers execute the stored malicious scripts within their browser context, potentially allowing attackers to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of the victims. The vulnerability exists at the application layer where user inputs are not properly escaped or filtered before being rendered in HTML contexts, creating an attack surface that aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 for Account Access Removal and T1566 for Phishing. The persistence of stored XSS makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple users over extended periods without requiring repeated exploitation attempts.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-4692 extends beyond simple script execution to encompass potential data breaches and system compromise. An attacker leveraging this vulnerability can access sensitive user information, manipulate application data, and potentially escalate privileges within the affected environment. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that even users who do not actively interact with the malicious content may be affected when they view pages containing the stored payloads. This vulnerability particularly impacts collaborative environments where users share content, as malicious scripts can propagate through shared notes, comments, or other user-generated content. The vulnerability's presence in a repository management system creates additional risks for organizations that rely on memos for internal documentation and collaboration, potentially exposing sensitive business information or intellectual property to unauthorized access.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to version 0.9.0 or later where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. The recommended approach involves implementing comprehensive content security policies that prevent script execution in user-generated content, utilizing proper HTML escaping for all dynamic content, and implementing input validation that strips or encodes potentially dangerous characters. Security controls should include regular security scanning of application inputs, implementation of web application firewalls, and comprehensive user input sanitization routines. The mitigation strategy should align with NIST SP 800-53 security controls and incorporate defense-in-depth principles to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other application components. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security awareness training for developers to ensure proper secure coding practices and implement automated security testing in development pipelines to identify similar vulnerabilities before deployment. The fix for this vulnerability typically involves implementing proper output encoding mechanisms that ensure all user-supplied content is rendered safely within HTML contexts, preventing the execution of malicious scripts through proper escaping of special characters and validation of input data against established safe character sets.