CVE-2024-38677 in REVIEWS.io Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/20/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation (XSS or 'Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Reviews.Co.Uk REVIEWS.Io allows Stored XSS.This issue affects REVIEWS.Io: from n/a through 1.2.7.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/17/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-38677 represents a critical security flaw in the REVIEWS.Io platform developed by Reviews.Co.Uk, specifically manifesting as an improper neutralization of input during web page generation. This vulnerability falls under the well-documented category of cross-site scripting attacks, more precisely classified as stored XSS, which allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The flaw exists within the platform's handling of user-generated content that gets stored and subsequently rendered without adequate sanitization measures, creating a persistent security risk that can affect all users interacting with the vulnerable system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the REVIEWS.Io application. When users submit content through various interactive elements such as comments, reviews, or profile information, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape special characters that could be interpreted as executable script code. This weakness enables an attacker to craft malicious payloads that are stored within the application's database and then executed whenever other users view the affected content. The vulnerability affects all versions of REVIEWS.Io from the initial release through version 1.2.7, indicating a long-standing issue that has not been adequately addressed in the platform's security architecture.
The operational impact of this stored XSS vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it provides attackers with persistent access to user sessions and sensitive information. Once an attacker successfully injects malicious scripts, they can execute various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, redirection to phishing sites, or even data exfiltration from users' browsers. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious code persists in the application's database, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple users over extended periods without requiring repeated exploitation attempts. This characteristic aligns with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1531 technique for 'Account Access Removal' and T1071.001 for 'Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols', where attackers leverage web application vulnerabilities to maintain persistent access to victim systems.
Security mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate remediation needs and long-term architectural improvements. The primary fix involves implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms that sanitize all user-supplied content before storage and rendering. This approach aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-site Scripting vulnerabilities, and requires the implementation of proper HTML escaping, context-specific encoding, and content security policies. Organizations should also consider implementing a comprehensive web application firewall, regular security code reviews, and automated vulnerability scanning to prevent similar issues from emerging in the future. Additionally, the platform should adopt defense-in-depth strategies including strict input validation, output encoding, and regular security assessments to ensure that user-generated content cannot compromise the integrity of the application or the privacy of its users.