CVE-2024-23502 in Posts List Designer by Category Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/31/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in InfornWeb Posts List Designer by Category – List Category Posts Or Recent Posts allows Stored XSS.This issue affects Posts List Designer by Category – List Category Posts Or Recent Posts: from n/a through 3.3.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/22/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-23502 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the InfornWeb Posts List Designer plugin, specifically impacting versions ranging from an unspecified minimum to 3.3.2. This issue falls under the category of improper input neutralization during web page generation, creating a persistent security weakness that enables attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability manifests in the plugin's handling of user-provided input within the context of generating list views for category posts or recent posts, where insufficient sanitization allows malicious payloads to be stored and subsequently executed in the browsers of unsuspecting visitors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate validation and sanitization of input parameters that are used to construct dynamic web content. When users create or modify post lists through the plugin's interface, the system fails to properly escape or filter special characters in input fields, particularly those related to post titles, category names, or custom attributes. This weakness creates a stored cross-site scripting condition where malicious scripts are permanently stored within the plugin's data structures and executed each time affected pages are rendered. The vulnerability is classified as CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which is a well-documented weakness that directly enables XSS attacks by failing to properly encode or escape user-controllable data before it is included in web page output.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with significant capabilities to compromise user sessions, steal sensitive information, or manipulate content displayed on the affected website. An attacker could inject malicious scripts that steal cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or modify the content of the web pages to display fraudulent information. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious code persists even after the initial injection, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple users over extended periods. This weakness directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 - Account Access Removal and T1566 - Phishing, as it enables attackers to establish persistent access through session hijacking or to craft convincing phishing campaigns that appear legitimate due to the compromised website's content.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the XSS flaw, as recommended by the vendor's security advisories. Administrators should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent similar issues in the future, ensuring that all user-provided content undergoes proper sanitization before being stored or displayed. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to limit the impact of potential XSS exploits, while regular security audits of web applications should include thorough testing of input handling mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block known XSS attack patterns, and maintain comprehensive monitoring systems to identify unusual activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of input validation and output encoding in web application security, particularly within content management systems where user-generated content is frequently processed and displayed.