CVE-2024-48707 in Collabtive
Summary
by MITRE • 10/22/2024
Collabtive 3.1 is vulnerable to Cross-site scripting (XSS) via the name parameter under (a) action=add or action=edit within managemilestone.php file and (b) action=addpro within admin.php file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-48707 affects Collabtive 3.1, a project management application that falls under the category of web-based collaborative platforms. This application is susceptible to cross-site scripting attacks that could potentially allow attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of a user's browser session. The vulnerability specifically manifests through improper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's PHP-based code structure.
The technical flaw exists within the managemilestone.php file where the name parameter is processed without adequate sanitization when handling action parameters set to either add or edit operations. Additionally, the vulnerability extends to the admin.php file where the action=addpro parameter fails to properly validate or escape user-supplied input. Both scenarios demonstrate a classic XSS vulnerability pattern where user-controllable data flows directly into the application's output without proper context-aware encoding. This weakness aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities and represents a fundamental failure in input validation and output encoding practices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables attackers to inject malicious scripts that can execute within the victim's browser session. An attacker could potentially steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, redirect victims to malicious sites, or even execute more sophisticated attacks such as credential harvesting. The vulnerability affects both milestone management and project administration functions, providing attackers with access to critical administrative capabilities within the Collabtive platform. This exposure could lead to complete compromise of the application's security posture and potential data breaches.
The vulnerability follows ATT&CK technique T1531 which involves the use of malicious file content to gain access to systems. The attack vector relies on the manipulation of user input through web forms, making it particularly dangerous in collaborative environments where multiple users interact with shared data. The exploitation requires minimal privileges and can be executed through simple web-based attacks. Organizations using Collabtive 3.1 should immediately implement input validation measures that enforce strict sanitization of all user-supplied parameters, particularly those used in administrative functions. The recommended mitigations include implementing proper output encoding for all dynamic content, enforcing Content Security Policy headers, and applying input validation at multiple layers of the application architecture. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other application components. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining robust input validation practices and proper output encoding as fundamental security controls in web applications.