CVE-2024-0891 in octopus
Summary
by MITRE • 01/26/2024
A vulnerability was found in hongmaple octopus 1.0. It has been declared as problematic. Affected by this vulnerability is an unknown functionality. The manipulation of the argument description with the input alert(document.cookie) leads to cross site scripting. The attack can be launched remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. This product does not use versioning. This is why information about affected and unaffected releases are unavailable. The associated identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-252043.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/18/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-0891 represents a critical cross site scripting flaw within the hongmaple octopus 1.0 application. This security weakness resides in an unknown functionality area of the software, making it particularly concerning as the exact scope of affected components remains unclear. The vulnerability manifests when an attacker manipulates the description argument with malicious input containing alert(document.cookie), which triggers a javascript execution context that can compromise user sessions and expose sensitive cookie data. The absence of versioning in this product creates significant challenges for security professionals attempting to assess risk exposure, as there is no clear methodology for determining which releases contain the vulnerability or which might be protected. This lack of version control information renders standard vulnerability management practices ineffective and leaves organizations without clear guidance on remediation paths.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through remote attack vectors, meaning that adversaries can leverage this flaw without requiring physical access to the target system. The fact that the exploit has been publicly disclosed and is potentially in active use significantly elevates the threat level, as it removes the element of surprise that typically protects systems from newly discovered vulnerabilities. This public availability of the exploit means that automated scanning tools and malicious actors can readily identify and target vulnerable installations. The attack mechanism specifically targets the description argument handling, suggesting that the application fails to properly sanitize or validate user input before incorporating it into dynamic content generation processes. This failure directly violates fundamental security principles and creates an opening for attackers to inject malicious javascript code that executes within the context of legitimate user sessions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as the ability to execute javascript code through cookie manipulation can enable session hijacking, credential theft, and broader system compromise. When an attacker can execute alert(document.cookie), they are essentially gaining the ability to read session tokens and other sensitive information that would typically remain protected within browser security boundaries. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which describes cross site scripting flaws in software applications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for spearphishing attachments and T1566.002 for spearphishing via email, as the vulnerability could be exploited through malicious email campaigns. The lack of versioning information makes it particularly challenging for organizations to implement effective patch management strategies, as they cannot definitively identify vulnerable installations or plan appropriate mitigation measures. Organizations relying on this software must consider immediate protective measures including input validation, output encoding, and potentially disabling the affected functionality until a secure version can be deployed.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate defensive measures while longer-term solutions are developed. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent javascript code injection, particularly in areas where user-provided description arguments are processed. The application should be configured to employ Content Security Policy headers that restrict script execution and prevent unauthorized code injection. Security teams should monitor network traffic for exploitation attempts and implement web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads targeting this vulnerability. Due to the product's lack of version control, organizations may need to consider alternative solutions including complete software replacement or implementing additional protective layers such as reverse proxies with security filtering capabilities. The public disclosure of this exploit necessitates immediate action regardless of the current risk assessment, as the vulnerability is likely already present in numerous production environments. Regular security assessments should be conducted to identify other potential input handling vulnerabilities that may exist within the same codebase, as the presence of one XSS vulnerability often indicates broader security weaknesses in input validation and output sanitization practices.