CVE-2023-6282 in IceHrm
Summary
by MITRE • 01/25/2024
IceHrm 23.0.0.OS does not sufficiently encode user-controlled input, which creates a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability via /icehrm/app/fileupload_page.php, in multiple parameters. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted JavaScript payload and partially hijacking the victim's browser.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/18/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-6282 affects IceHrm 23.0.0.OS, a human resources management system that fails to properly sanitize user input within its file upload page component. This weakness creates a cross-site scripting vulnerability that resides in the /icehrm/app/fileupload_page.php endpoint, where multiple parameters accept user-controlled data without adequate encoding or validation measures. The absence of proper input sanitization allows malicious actors to inject malicious scripts that can execute within the context of a victim's browser session, potentially compromising user security and system integrity.
The technical flaw manifests when the application processes file upload requests without implementing sufficient output encoding or input validation mechanisms. This vulnerability falls under CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications, where the system fails to properly encode data that originates from user inputs before rendering it in web pages. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious JavaScript payloads and submitting them through the vulnerable parameters in the fileupload_page.php script, which then gets executed when other users view the affected content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables partial session hijacking and potential privilege escalation within the application context. When victims browse to pages containing the maliciously injected scripts, their browsers execute the attacker's code, which could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive HR data, session theft, or redirection to malicious websites. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations using IceHrm for employee management, as it creates an attack surface where unauthorized parties can compromise user sessions and potentially gain access to confidential personnel information.
Security professionals should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability, beginning with input validation and output encoding measures that align with OWASP Top Ten recommendations. The recommended mitigations include implementing strict input validation for all parameters in the fileupload_page.php script, applying proper HTML encoding to all user-supplied data before rendering it in web responses, and implementing Content Security Policy headers to prevent unauthorized script execution. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security assessments of their web applications and ensure that all input handling mechanisms comply with industry standards such as those defined in the ATT&CK framework's web application exploitation categories, particularly focusing on the execution of malicious code through web interfaces and session manipulation techniques.