CVE-2024-50409 in Namaste LMS Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/29/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Bob Namaste! LMS namaste-lms allows Stored XSS.This issue affects Namaste! LMS: from n/a through <= 2.6.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the Bob Namaste LMS up to and including version 2.6.2, indicating a widespread exposure across multiple releases. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications where input data is not properly neutralized before being rendered in web pages.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker can submit malicious input through the LMS interface that gets stored in the application's database or server-side storage mechanisms. When other users subsequently access pages containing this stored malicious content, the XSS payload executes within their browser context. This stored nature of the vulnerability makes it particularly dangerous as the malicious code persists and affects multiple users without requiring them to interact with specific malicious links. The vulnerability enables attackers to perform actions such as stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, defacing the learning management system, or executing arbitrary JavaScript code in users' browsers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking. Attackers could potentially escalate privileges within the LMS environment, access sensitive educational data, manipulate course content, or even compromise the entire learning management system infrastructure. This vulnerability poses significant risks to educational institutions that rely on the LMS for managing student information, course materials, and communication. The stored nature of the XSS attack means that a single successful injection can affect all users who interact with the compromised content, making the impact cumulative and potentially devastating to the institution's digital security posture.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including updating to the latest available version of Namaste! LMS that addresses this vulnerability, implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. The remediation process should involve comprehensive code review to ensure all user-supplied inputs are properly sanitized before storage or rendering. Additionally, security awareness training for administrators and users can help identify potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering tactics including the use of malicious web content to compromise systems. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other web applications within the organization's infrastructure.