CVE-2024-48708 in Collabtive
Summary
by MITRE • 10/22/2024
Collabtive 3.1 is vulnerable to Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) via the name parameter in (a) file tasklist.php under action = add/edit and in (b) file admin.php under action = adduser/edituser.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-48708 affects Collabtive version 3.1 and represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw that compromises user session integrity and application security. This vulnerability manifests in two distinct attack vectors within the application's administrative and task management interfaces, creating multiple entry points for malicious actors to exploit. The flaw specifically targets the name parameter handling in two critical files: tasklist.php and admin.php, where the application fails to properly sanitize user input before rendering it in the web interface.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the Collabtive application framework. When users submit data through the name fields in the tasklist.php file during add or edit operations, and similarly in admin.php during user management actions, the application directly incorporates this unvalidated input into HTML responses without proper sanitization. This creates an environment where malicious actors can inject arbitrary JavaScript code through the name parameter, which then executes in the context of other users' browsers who view the affected content. The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where applications fail to properly validate or encode user-provided data before including it in web pages.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables attackers to establish persistent footholds within the application environment. An attacker could craft malicious payloads that steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or execute commands on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability affects both task management and user administration functionalities, potentially allowing an attacker to escalate privileges or manipulate core application data. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability aligns with T1531 (Establishment of Foothold) and T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) techniques, as it provides initial access and execution capabilities within the application environment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate input validation and output encoding implementations across all user-facing parameters. The recommended approach involves implementing strict sanitization of the name parameter in both affected files, utilizing proper HTML escaping techniques before rendering any user-supplied data. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and establish a comprehensive input validation framework that follows secure coding practices. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of validating all user inputs at multiple layers of application architecture and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that protect against injection attacks. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar patterns that may exist in other parts of the application, ensuring that the fix addresses not just this specific instance but also prevents similar issues from emerging in future development cycles.