CVE-2023-27293 in OpenCATS
Summary
by MITRE • 02/28/2023
Improper neutralization of input during web page generation allows an unauthenticated attacker to submit malicious Javascript as the answer to a questionnaire which would then be executed when an authenticated user reviews the candidate's submission. This could be used to steal other users’ cookies and force users to make actions without their knowledge.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/16/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in web application input handling that enables unauthenticated attackers to inject malicious javascript code into questionnaire responses. The issue stems from inadequate sanitization of user input during the web page generation process, specifically when processing answers submitted by candidates. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79 as improper neutralization of input during web page generation, which directly enables XSS attacks by failing to properly escape or validate user-supplied content before rendering it within the application's interface. The flaw allows attackers to craft malicious javascript payloads that execute in the context of authenticated users who review the questionnaire submissions, creating a persistent threat vector that can be exploited across multiple user sessions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables sophisticated attack vectors including session hijacking through cookie theft and forced actions without user knowledge. When authenticated users view the malicious questionnaire responses, the injected javascript code executes in their browser context, potentially allowing attackers to access sensitive session cookies, steal authentication tokens, or perform unauthorized actions on behalf of the victim. This creates a significant risk for organizations relying on questionnaire systems for candidate evaluation, as the attack can be executed without requiring any privileged access or authentication to the application itself. The vulnerability affects the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a failure in input validation and output encoding mechanisms that should prevent malicious code from being executed in the application's user interface.
The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability requires no authentication to exploit and can be leveraged by attackers to target any authenticated user who reviews the malicious submission. This makes it a prime candidate for targeted attacks against administrators or other privileged users who regularly review questionnaire responses. The implementation of proper input validation and output encoding should follow security best practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically addressing techniques related to XSS prevention and session management. Organizations should implement comprehensive content security policies, employ proper input sanitization libraries, and ensure that all user-generated content is properly escaped before being rendered in web pages. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of validating and sanitizing all user inputs at multiple layers of the application architecture to prevent injection attacks that can compromise user sessions and data integrity.