CVE-2023-33438 in Kluwer TeamMate+
Summary
by MITRE • 06/17/2023
A stored Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Wolters Kluwer TeamMate+ 35.0.11.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/04/2026
The stored cross-site scripting vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-33438 exists within Wolters Kluwer TeamMate+ version 35.0.11.0, representing a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of affected user sessions. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-site Scripting, specifically classified as a stored XSS variant where malicious input is permanently stored on the server and subsequently served to other users without proper sanitization or encoding. The flaw manifests when the application fails to adequately validate and sanitize user-supplied input before rendering it in web pages, creating an environment where attackers can inject persistent malicious scripts that execute whenever legitimate users view affected content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, manipulate data, or redirect users to malicious websites. When exploited, the stored XSS vulnerability allows attackers to inject scripts that can access cookies, session tokens, and other sensitive data that the victim's browser stores. This creates a persistent threat vector where malicious code remains active even after the initial injection, continuously affecting any user who accesses the compromised content. The vulnerability affects the web application's authentication and authorization mechanisms, potentially enabling attackers to impersonate legitimate users and gain unauthorized access to sensitive organizational data within the TeamMate+ platform.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a significant risk to web application integrity and user safety, particularly within enterprise environments where TeamMate+ is deployed for collaborative work and data management. The attack surface includes any functionality that accepts user input and displays it within the application interface without proper sanitization, making the platform particularly vulnerable to social engineering attacks where users might unknowingly interact with malicious content. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 - Run-time Application Prototyping, as attackers can leverage the XSS flaw to create persistent malicious web content that affects multiple users over time. Organizations using Wolters Kluwer TeamMate+ should immediately implement input validation and output encoding measures, including the implementation of Content Security Policy headers and the use of proper HTML escaping mechanisms to prevent script execution in user-supplied content.
The remediation strategy for CVE-2023-33438 requires immediate patching of the affected TeamMate+ version to address the root cause of the XSS vulnerability. System administrators must ensure that all user input is properly validated against whitelisted character sets and that output encoding is implemented for all dynamic content rendered in web pages. Additionally, implementing proper security headers such as Content-Security-Policy and X-Content-Type-Options can provide additional defense-in-depth measures against exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the application's codebase, particularly focusing on areas where user-generated content is processed and displayed. Organizations should also establish incident response procedures to monitor for potential exploitation attempts and maintain awareness of emerging threats targeting web applications with similar architectural patterns to TeamMate+.