CVE-2024-40336 in idcCMS
Summary
by MITRE • 07/10/2024
idccms v1.35 is vulnerable to Cross Site Scripting (XSS) within the 'Image Advertising Management.'
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/19/2025
The vulnerability identified in idccms v1.35 represents a critical cross site scripting flaw within the Image Advertising Management component that exposes the system to persistent and reflected XSS attacks. This weakness allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary javascript code into the web application through user input fields associated with image advertising functionality. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly encode or escape user-supplied data before rendering it within the application's response. When legitimate users view pages containing maliciously crafted input, the injected scripts execute in their browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of victims.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates poor secure coding practices that violate fundamental web security principles and aligns with CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation. The flaw exists because the application does not adequately filter or escape special characters in user-provided image advertisement data, particularly in parameters related to image URLs, alt text, or descriptive fields. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious payloads that include javascript code within image advertisement metadata or upload forms, which then gets executed when other users browse the affected pages.
Operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it provides attackers with persistent access to user sessions and potentially elevated privileges within the content management system. The reflected nature of the XSS allows attackers to craft malicious URLs that, when clicked by administrators or other privileged users, can execute commands or steal session cookies. This creates a significant risk for organizations using idccms v1.35 as it enables attackers to manipulate advertising content, redirect users to phishing sites, or perform unauthorized modifications to the advertising management system. The vulnerability also poses risks to business continuity and customer trust when malicious advertisements are displayed.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase, particularly within the image advertising management module. Organizations must ensure proper implementation of CSP headers, utilize context-specific escaping for all dynamic content, and conduct thorough security testing including automated scanning and manual penetration testing of user input fields. The solution aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment and follows the OWASP Top Ten 2021 category A03: Injection principles for preventing XSS vulnerabilities. Regular security updates, proper access controls, and user education about suspicious advertising content should complement technical mitigations to reduce overall risk exposure.