CVE-2024-25976 in HAWKI
Summary
by MITRE • 05/29/2024
When LDAP authentication is activated in the configuration it is possible to obtain reflected XSS execution by creating a custom URL that the victim only needs to open in order to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the victim's browser. This is due to a fault in the file login.php where the content of "$_SERVER['PHP_SELF']" is reflected into the HTML of the website. Hence the attacker does not need a valid account in order to exploit this issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/27/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in web applications that utilize LDAP authentication mechanisms. The issue stems from improper input validation and output encoding practices within the login.php file where the server-side variable $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] is directly reflected into the HTML response without adequate sanitization. This creates an ideal environment for reflected XSS attacks where malicious actors can craft specially designed URLs that, when visited by victims, execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the victim's browser context. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it does not require authentication credentials to exploit, making it accessible to any attacker who can诱导 victims to click malicious links.
The technical implementation of this flaw demonstrates a classic reflected XSS vulnerability pattern where user-controllable input flows directly into the HTTP response without proper sanitization or encoding. The $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] variable contains the filename of the current script, which when reflected into HTML content without proper escaping creates an injection point for malicious scripts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities, and can be categorized under the broader ATT&CK technique T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious payload is delivered in the HTTP response to a victim's browser rather than being stored on the server, making it particularly difficult to detect and prevent through traditional server-side defenses.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and redirection to malicious sites. Since the vulnerability does not require valid account credentials, it significantly broadens the attack surface and makes it particularly dangerous in environments where users might be tricked into visiting malicious URLs through phishing campaigns, social engineering, or compromised websites. The reflected XSS payload can potentially access sensitive cookies, modify page content, or even redirect users to attacker-controlled domains, creating a comprehensive threat vector that can be leveraged for advanced persistent threats.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding practices that properly escape all user-controllable data before rendering it in HTML contexts. The specific fix involves sanitizing the $_SERVER['PHP_SELF'] variable by applying appropriate HTML entity encoding or using a whitelist approach to validate and restrict the content. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be executed. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive code reviews to identify similar patterns in other parts of the application, particularly anywhere $_SERVER variables or user inputs are reflected into HTML responses. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of input validation and output encoding in preventing XSS attacks, with the specific lesson that even server-side variables can become attack vectors when not properly sanitized. The mitigation strategy should include regular security testing, including automated scanning tools and manual penetration testing to identify similar reflected XSS vulnerabilities across the entire application stack.