CVE-2024-51714 in User Password Reset Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/09/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation (XSS or 'Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Syed Umair Hussain Shah User Password Reset allows Reflected XSS.This issue affects User Password Reset: from n/a through 1.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/28/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness that specifically targets the user password reset functionality of a web application. The flaw occurs during the web page generation process where input parameters are not properly sanitized or escaped before being rendered back to users. This creates an environment where malicious actors can inject arbitrary script code that executes in the victim's browser context. The vulnerability is classified as reflected XSS because the malicious payload is embedded in the application's response to a user request, typically through URL parameters or form inputs. Attackers can craft malicious links that, when clicked by unsuspecting users, will execute the injected code in the user's browser session. This particular vulnerability affects versions from n/a through 1.0, suggesting it exists in the initial release or early versions of the password reset module. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, and potential privilege escalation within the application's security boundaries. According to CWE standards, this maps to CWE-79 which specifically addresses improper neutralization of input during web page generation. The vulnerability exploits the fundamental principle that all user input should be treated as untrusted and properly escaped before being rendered in web contexts. This weakness aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which focuses on credential access through manipulation of application inputs. The reflected nature of this XSS means that the malicious script code must be passed through a user request and then reflected back by the application to the victim's browser, making it particularly dangerous in scenarios where users might be tricked into clicking malicious links. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in password reset contexts because it can be exploited to steal reset tokens or redirect users to malicious sites that mimic legitimate authentication portals, enabling credential harvesting attacks. The attack surface is broadened by the fact that password reset mechanisms are often accessed by users who are already in a state of trust with the application, making social engineering attacks more effective.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal prerequisites and can be accomplished through simple parameter manipulation. Attackers typically construct malicious URLs with encoded script payloads that are then passed through the password reset endpoint. When the application processes these inputs without proper sanitization, the malicious code becomes embedded in the generated HTML response. The reflected nature means that the application does not store the malicious input, but rather reflects it back to the user, making the attack more difficult to detect through traditional logging mechanisms. This vulnerability can be exploited across multiple browsers and platforms since the XSS occurs at the application layer rather than relying on specific browser vulnerabilities. The impact extends to all users who might be tricked into clicking malicious links, potentially compromising their accounts and the overall security posture of the system. Security researchers have documented similar patterns in password reset functionalities where insufficient input validation creates opportunities for attackers to manipulate the reset process itself. The vulnerability demonstrates a critical gap in the application's input handling and output escaping mechanisms, representing a failure to implement proper security controls during the development lifecycle. Organizations should be particularly concerned about the potential for chained attacks where this vulnerability is used as a stepping stone to more sophisticated exploitation techniques. The lack of version specification beyond 1.0 suggests that the vulnerability may persist across multiple releases, indicating a fundamental design flaw rather than a simple coding error that could be quickly addressed.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output escaping mechanisms throughout the application's codebase. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user inputs using established libraries and frameworks that provide built-in XSS protection. Implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to prevent script execution even if input validation fails. The application should also implement proper encoding of all dynamic content before rendering it in web pages, particularly in contexts such as URL parameters, form values, and error messages. Regular security testing including automated vulnerability scanning and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other application components. The development team should adopt secure coding practices and establish code review processes that specifically check for XSS vulnerabilities in all input handling code. Additionally, implementing proper session management and implementing rate limiting on password reset requests can help reduce the effectiveness of automated exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication as a compensating control to reduce the impact of credential compromise. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following security best practices such as the OWASP Top Ten guidelines and implementing proper input validation at multiple layers of the application architecture. Regular security awareness training for developers can help prevent similar issues from occurring in future releases, emphasizing the critical need for treating all user input as potentially malicious and implementing appropriate safeguards. The remediation process should include thorough regression testing to ensure that the implemented fixes do not introduce new functionality issues while effectively addressing the identified XSS vulnerability.