CVE-2024-51717 in Ajax Content Filter Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/09/2024
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation (XSS or 'Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Perception System Ajax Content Filter allows Reflected XSS.This issue affects Ajax Content Filter: from n/a through 1.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/28/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-51717 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness within the Perception System Ajax Content Filter component. This flaw falls under the broader category of improper input neutralization during web page generation, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject harmful scripts into web applications. The vulnerability specifically manifests as a reflected cross-site scripting attack, where malicious payloads are reflected off the web server back to the user's browser, exploiting the filter's inadequate sanitization of user-supplied input parameters.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the Ajax Content Filter's failure to properly sanitize or escape user input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content. When the filter processes incoming requests containing malicious script payloads, it fails to neutralize potentially dangerous characters or sequences that could be interpreted as executable code by web browsers. This improper handling occurs during the web page generation phase, where input data is directly embedded into HTML output without adequate protection mechanisms. The vulnerability affects all versions from the initial release through version 1.0, indicating that the flaw has persisted across the product's development lifecycle and represents a fundamental design oversight in the input processing pipeline.
From an operational impact perspective, this reflected XSS vulnerability poses significant risks to both application integrity and user security. An attacker could craft malicious URLs containing script payloads that, when clicked by unsuspecting users, would execute in their browser context. The reflected nature means that the malicious script must be delivered via an external link or injection point, making it particularly dangerous in phishing attacks or when users are tricked into clicking malicious content. Successful exploitation could lead to session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, or the redirection of users to malicious sites. The vulnerability particularly affects web applications that rely on the Ajax Content Filter for dynamic content generation, potentially compromising the entire user interaction flow and undermining the application's security posture.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. This classification indicates that the issue involves the improper handling of untrusted data within web applications, creating opportunities for attackers to inject malicious scripts. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566.001 which covers phishing techniques using malicious links, and potentially T1071.004 which involves application layer protocol usage. Organizations utilizing the Perception System Ajax Content Filter should implement immediate mitigations including input validation, output encoding, and the implementation of Content Security Policy headers. The most effective long-term solution involves comprehensive code review and the adoption of secure coding practices that ensure all user-supplied input is properly sanitized before being incorporated into web page content. Additionally, deploying web application firewalls and implementing proper security monitoring can provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts.