CVE-2024-25973 in OpenOlat LMS
Summary
by MITRE • 02/20/2024
The Frentix GmbH OpenOlat LMS is affected by multiple stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities. An attacker with rights to create or edit groups can create a course with a name that contains an XSS payload. Furthermore, attackers with the permissions to create or rename a catalog (sub-category) can enter unfiltered input in the name field. In addition, attackers who are allowed to create curriculums can also enter unfiltered input in the name field. This allows an attacker to execute stored JavaScript code with the permissions of the victim in the context of the user's browser.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/13/2025
The CVE-2024-25973 vulnerability affects the OpenOlat Learning Management System developed by Frentix GmbH, exposing multiple stored cross-site scripting flaws that collectively represent a significant security risk for educational institutions utilizing this platform. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the system's course creation, catalog management, and curriculum development functionalities. The flaw specifically targets the name fields of these components, where user-supplied input is not properly filtered or escaped before being stored and subsequently rendered in web pages. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can inject malicious JavaScript code that persists within the application's database and executes whenever legitimate users view the affected content, creating a persistent threat vector that can compromise user sessions and potentially escalate to full system compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws resulting from inadequate input validation and output encoding. The attack surface encompasses three distinct privilege levels within the platform's permission model, allowing attackers with relatively limited access rights to create or edit groups, manage catalogs, or develop curriculums to inject malicious payloads. When these unfiltered inputs are rendered in the browser context, the stored JavaScript code executes with the privileges of the victim user, potentially enabling session hijacking, data theft, or privilege escalation attacks. The stored nature of these vulnerabilities means that the malicious code remains active even after the initial injection, creating a persistent threat that can affect multiple users over extended periods. This particular vulnerability class falls under the ATT&CK technique T1531, which involves use of web shells or persistent backdoors through client-side exploitation.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-25973 extends beyond simple data corruption or display issues, as it creates a vector for more sophisticated attacks targeting the educational institution's digital infrastructure. An attacker could potentially use this vulnerability to steal user credentials, access sensitive learning materials, or manipulate course content to distribute malware to students and faculty. The vulnerability's persistence means that once exploited, the malicious code continues to execute against all users who encounter the affected content, potentially compromising thousands of user sessions and creating a significant attack surface for broader network infiltration. Organizations utilizing OpenOlat should consider this vulnerability as a critical threat to their security posture, particularly given the sensitive nature of educational data and the potential for credential theft or unauthorized access to learning management systems. The risk is compounded by the fact that attackers need only basic permissions to exploit these flaws, making the attack vector accessible to individuals who may not have high-level administrative privileges but still possess sufficient access to create or modify content within the platform.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data flow, particularly in the name fields of course, catalog, and curriculum components. Organizations should enforce strict sanitization of user inputs using established security libraries and frameworks that can identify and neutralize potentially malicious content before storage. Additionally, implementing content security policies and proper HTTP headers can help reduce the impact of successful XSS attacks by limiting the execution scope of injected scripts. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the platform's codebase, while user access controls should be carefully reviewed to ensure that only authorized personnel have the necessary permissions to create or modify critical content. The implementation of web application firewalls and real-time monitoring systems can provide additional layers of protection by detecting and blocking suspicious input patterns before they can be stored within the application's database.