CVE-2024-37031 in Active Admin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/03/2024
The Active Admin (aka activeadmin) framework before 3.2.2 for Ruby on Rails allows stored XSS in certain situations where users can create entities (to be later edited in forms) with arbitrary names, aka a "dynamic form legends" issue. 4.0.0.beta7 is also a fixed version.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/26/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-37031 affects the Active Admin framework version 3.2.1 and earlier, representing a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw that impacts Ruby on Rails applications. This vulnerability specifically manifests when users possess the capability to create entities that will later be edited through forms, creating a scenario where arbitrary names can be submitted and subsequently rendered within the administrative interface. The issue stems from insufficient input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms within the framework's dynamic form legend handling functionality, which processes user-provided data without adequate protection against malicious script injection attempts.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of form legend elements that are dynamically generated based on user input. When administrators or authorized users navigate to edit pages containing these dynamically created entities, the stored malicious scripts execute within the context of the victim's browser session. This presents a significant risk as Active Admin typically operates with elevated privileges and administrative access rights, making successful exploitation potentially devastating for the affected applications. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as a cross-site scripting weakness, specifically involving stored XSS where malicious payloads are permanently stored on the server and executed when accessed by other users.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-37031 extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including credential theft, session hijacking, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation. Attackers can craft payloads that redirect victims to malicious domains, inject malicious JavaScript that steals cookies or session tokens, or even deploy more sophisticated attack vectors such as phishing attempts that appear legitimate within the administrative interface. The vulnerability affects organizations running Active Admin versions prior to 3.2.2 or 4.0.0.beta7, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where administrative interfaces are frequently accessed and contain sensitive operational data.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability center around immediate version upgrades to 3.2.2 or 4.0.0.beta7, which contain the necessary patches to address the dynamic form legend handling issue. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures including input validation and output encoding controls, regular security scanning of administrative interfaces, and monitoring for suspicious user activity patterns. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers can leverage the XSS to execute malicious scripts, and T1566 for credential access through social engineering techniques that may be enabled by the compromised administrative interface. Additional protective measures include implementing content security policies, using secure coding practices for form handling, and conducting regular penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in the application's administrative components.