CVE-2024-50344 in i-librarian-free
Summary
by MITRE • 10/30/2024
I, Librarian is an open-source version of a PDF managing SaaS. Supplemental Files are allowed to be viewed in the browser, only if they have a white-listed MIME type. Unfortunately, this logic is broken, thus allowing unsafe files containing Javascript to be executed with the application context. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by uploading a supplementary file that contains a malicious code or script. This code will then be executed when the file is loaded in the browser. The vulnerability was fixed in version 5.11.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/01/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-50344 affects I, Librarian, an open-source PDF management software as a service platform. This application provides users with the capability to manage and organize PDF documents while also supporting supplementary file attachments that can be viewed directly within the browser interface. The security mechanism designed to protect against malicious content relies on a MIME type whitelist approach that should restrict which file types can be rendered in the browser environment. However, this security control has been successfully bypassed, creating a critical execution flaw that allows arbitrary JavaScript code to run with the privileges and context of the application itself.
The technical flaw stems from a broken MIME type validation mechanism that fails to properly enforce the whitelist restrictions. When users upload supplementary files, the application should only render those with explicitly permitted MIME types in the browser context. The vulnerability occurs because the application does not adequately validate or sanitize the file content before allowing execution, permitting attackers to upload files with malicious JavaScript code embedded within what appears to be a legitimate supplementary document. This represents a classic bypass of input validation controls and demonstrates a failure in the application's security architecture to properly enforce content type restrictions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching, as it enables remote code execution with application-level privileges. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of the running application, potentially gaining access to sensitive user data, performing unauthorized operations, or escalating privileges to compromise the entire application environment. The attack vector is straightforward - an attacker uploads a malicious file that appears to be a legitimate supplementary document but contains embedded malicious code. When other users view this file in the browser, the JavaScript executes automatically, creating a persistent threat that can affect multiple users within the system. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and represents a critical failure in the application's defense-in-depth strategy.
The security implications of CVE-2024-50344 align with CWE-1004, which addresses insecure default configurations, and specifically relates to CWE-20, which covers improper input validation. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for JavaScript execution and T1566 for social engineering through malicious file attachments. Organizations using I, Librarian should immediately upgrade to version 5.11.2 or later, which contains the necessary fixes to properly enforce MIME type validation and prevent unauthorized script execution. Additionally, administrators should implement additional monitoring for suspicious file upload activities and consider implementing more robust content security policies. The fix should include proper MIME type validation at both the application and server levels, with comprehensive logging of file access and execution events to detect potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also review their incident response procedures to ensure they can quickly detect and respond to potential exploitation of this vulnerability across their network infrastructure.