CVE-2024-49660 in Campus Explorer Widget Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/29/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in CampusExplorer Campus Explorer Widget campus-explorer-widget allows Reflected XSS.This issue affects Campus Explorer Widget: from n/a through <= 1.4.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-49660 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the CampusExplorer Campus Explorer Widget component, specifically affecting versions up to and including 1.4. This reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability arises from inadequate input sanitization during web page generation processes, creating a significant security risk for users interacting with the widget. The flaw enables attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, potentially compromising user sessions and data integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the widget's failure to properly neutralize user-supplied input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content. When users interact with the CampusExplorer Widget, any input parameters passed to the widget are directly reflected back in the generated HTML without appropriate sanitization or encoding measures. This creates an environment where malicious actors can craft specially formatted input that, when processed by the widget, executes arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of the victim's browser session. The vulnerability manifests as a reflected XSS attack because the malicious payload is reflected off the web server and delivered to the victim's browser, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that rely on user input for dynamic content generation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses substantial risks to organizations utilizing the CampusExplorer Widget for educational or administrative purposes. Attackers could exploit this flaw to steal user authentication cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive information, potentially leading to unauthorized access to protected systems. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that successful exploitation requires user interaction with a maliciously crafted link, making it particularly insidious as it can be delivered through phishing campaigns or compromised websites. The impact extends beyond simple data theft, as attackers could manipulate the widget's functionality to redirect users to malicious sites, inject advertisements, or perform other malicious activities that compromise the integrity of the educational platform. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws as improper neutralization of input during web page generation, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for the initial access phase through spearphishing attachments.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to the latest version of the CampusExplorer Widget where this vulnerability has been addressed. The mitigation strategy should include implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent malicious scripts from being executed within the widget's context. Security teams should also consider implementing content security policies to limit script execution capabilities and deploy web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious input patterns. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the educational platform. Additionally, user education regarding the risks of clicking suspicious links and the importance of verifying website authenticity can help reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input sanitization in web applications and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing throughout the software development lifecycle to prevent similar issues from emerging in other components.