CVE-2023-3035 in Pythagorean OA Office System
Summary
by MITRE • 06/01/2023
A vulnerability has been found in Guangdong Pythagorean OA Office System up to 4.50.31 and classified as problematic. Affected by this vulnerability is an unknown functionality of the component Schedule Handler. The manipulation of the argument description leads to cross site scripting. The attack can be launched remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The associated identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-230467.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/25/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-3035 affects the Guangdong Pythagorean OA Office System version 4.50.31 and earlier, representing a significant security flaw within the system's Schedule Handler component. This particular vulnerability falls under the category of cross-site scripting attacks, which are among the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws. The system's schedule handling functionality becomes compromised when an attacker manipulates the description argument, creating a pathway for malicious code execution within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability's classification as remotely exploitable means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or local network privileges to carry out the attack, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that rely on web-based office automation systems.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. This weakness occurs when an application incorporates untrusted data into web pages without proper validation or encoding, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the victim's browser context. The Schedule Handler component appears to inadequately sanitize user input when processing the description parameter, creating an opportunity for attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that will be executed whenever other users view the affected schedule entries. The public disclosure of this exploit through VDB-230467 indicates that threat actors have already developed working attack vectors, significantly increasing the risk to affected organizations. This vulnerability represents a critical gap in the application's input validation mechanisms, where user-provided content intended for schedule descriptions is not properly escaped or filtered before being rendered in web pages.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities within the compromised environment. Attackers could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, modify schedule data, or even escalate privileges within the OA system if additional vulnerabilities exist. The remote exploitation capability means that threat actors can target users from anywhere on the internet, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations with remote workers or public-facing OA systems. Organizations using this software may experience unauthorized access to sensitive schedule information, potential data exfiltration, and disruption of business operations. The vulnerability could also serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks, as successful XSS exploitation often provides attackers with the foundation for privilege escalation or further reconnaissance activities within the network.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate input sanitization and output encoding measures to prevent malicious script injection. Organizations should implement proper parameter validation for all user inputs, particularly those that are rendered in web contexts, ensuring that special characters are properly escaped or encoded before processing. The application should employ Content Security Policy headers to limit the sources from which scripts can be loaded and executed, providing an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks. Regular security updates and patches should be applied immediately upon availability, as this vulnerability has been publicly disclosed and is likely to be targeted by automated exploitation tools. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect unusual traffic patterns or attempted exploitation activities. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for script injection techniques and T1566 for social engineering attacks that may leverage XSS for initial access. System administrators should also consider implementing Web Application Firewalls to help detect and block malicious XSS payloads before they can affect the application. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of secure coding practices and input validation in enterprise office automation systems, particularly those handling sensitive business information and user data.