CVE-2024-28002 in Cornerstone Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/28/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Archetyped Cornerstone allows Reflected XSS.This issue affects Cornerstone: from n/a through 0.8.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/11/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-28002 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness in the Archetyped Cornerstone web application framework. This reflected XSS vulnerability occurs during the web page generation process when input parameters are not properly sanitized or neutralized before being incorporated into dynamic web content. The flaw exists in versions ranging from an unspecified initial state through version 0.8.0, indicating a persistent issue that has affected multiple releases of the software. The vulnerability specifically impacts the input handling mechanisms within the framework's web generation capabilities, creating potential entry points for malicious actors to inject harmful scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices within the Cornerstone framework's rendering engine. When user-supplied data is passed through HTTP request parameters and directly embedded into HTML responses without proper sanitization, attackers can craft malicious payloads that execute within the context of other users' browsers. This reflected nature means that the malicious script is reflected off the web server rather than being stored, making the attack vector more immediate and requiring users to click on crafted links containing the malicious input. The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-site Scripting flaws, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution, where adversaries leverage web-based attacks to execute malicious code in victim browsers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user data, redirect users to malicious sites, or even perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. Given that this affects a web framework component, the potential attack surface is broad, encompassing any application built using the Cornerstone framework that processes user input through HTTP parameters. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that successful exploitation requires social engineering to get users to click malicious links, but once triggered, the attack can persist for the duration of the user's browser session or until the page is refreshed. Security teams must consider the implications for user privacy, data integrity, and application availability when addressing this vulnerability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-28002 should prioritize immediate remediation through version updates to the Cornerstone framework, as this vulnerability has been addressed in subsequent releases. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding measures, ensuring all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before being incorporated into web page content. The implementation of Content Security Policies (CSP) can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to prevent script execution from unauthorized sources. Regular security testing including dynamic application security testing and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in custom applications built on the framework. Additionally, web application firewalls and input validation rules should be configured to detect and block suspicious patterns in HTTP requests, particularly those containing common XSS payload indicators. The remediation process should also include comprehensive security awareness training for developers to prevent similar issues in custom code implementations that may interact with the vulnerable framework components.