CVE-2024-25573 in PingFederate
Summary
by MITRE • 06/15/2025
Unsanitized user-supplied data saved in the PingFederate Administrative Console could trigger the execution of JavaScript code in subsequent user processing.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2025
This vulnerability resides in the PingFederate Administrative Console where user-supplied data is not properly sanitized before being stored and subsequently processed. The flaw represents a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability that allows attackers to inject malicious javascript code into the application's administrative interface. When administrators or other users interact with the console, the unsanitized input gets executed in their browser context, creating a persistent threat vector that can affect multiple users within the administrative environment. The vulnerability specifically impacts the administrative console functionality where user inputs are stored without proper validation or encoding mechanisms, making it susceptible to malicious payload injection. This issue falls under the CWE-79 category for cross-site scripting vulnerabilities and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the lack of input sanitization in the PingFederate administrative console components. When administrators enter data through the console interface, the application fails to properly escape or validate special characters that could be interpreted as javascript code. This allows attackers to craft malicious inputs containing script tags or other javascript payloads that get stored in the application's backend systems. The vulnerability becomes exploitable when legitimate administrative users subsequently view or process the stored data through the console interface, causing the embedded javascript to execute in their browser sessions. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable attackers to steal session cookies, perform actions on behalf of administrators, or redirect users to malicious sites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it compromises the integrity of the administrative console which serves as the primary management interface for PingFederate identity solutions. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can gain elevated privileges within the administrative environment, potentially leading to full system compromise or unauthorized access to identity management functions. The persistent nature of the vulnerability means that once an attacker successfully injects malicious code, it will continue to execute whenever affected users interact with the console, creating a long-term threat that can persist across multiple user sessions. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on administrative console access for identity management operations, as it undermines the trust boundary that should exist between legitimate administrators and potentially malicious actors.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied data within the administrative console. The solution requires implementing proper sanitization mechanisms that escape or remove potentially dangerous characters before storing user inputs. Security patches should be applied to address the root cause of the vulnerability, and administrators should be educated about the risks of entering untrusted data into console interfaces. Network segmentation and monitoring of administrative console access can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing content security policies and regular security assessments of administrative interfaces can prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in the future. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of validating all user inputs in administrative systems and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of management interfaces to prevent privilege escalation attacks.