CVE-2024-56289 in Groundhogg Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/07/2025
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Groundhogg Inc. Groundhogg allows Reflected XSS.This issue affects Groundhogg: from n/a through 3.7.3.3.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/15/2025
This cross-site scripting vulnerability in Groundhogg Inc.'s Groundhogg platform represents a critical security flaw that enables attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by users. The vulnerability occurs during the web page generation process where input validation and sanitization mechanisms fail to properly neutralize user-supplied data before it is rendered in web interfaces. This reflected XSS vulnerability specifically allows attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of a victim's browser when they click on a malicious link or visit a compromised page. The affected version range spans from an unspecified starting point through version 3.7.3.3, indicating this flaw has persisted across multiple releases and represents a long-standing security issue within the platform's codebase.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization practices within the Groundhogg application's web rendering pipeline. When user input is processed and displayed without proper escaping or encoding, malicious scripts can be injected and executed in the victim's browser context. This typically occurs when parameters from HTTP requests are directly incorporated into HTML output without appropriate security measures such as HTML entity encoding or content security policy enforcement. The reflected nature of this XSS means that the malicious script is reflected off the web server rather than being stored, making it particularly dangerous as it requires no persistent storage mechanism and can be delivered through crafted URLs.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation within the application. An attacker could craft malicious URLs that, when clicked by an authenticated user, would execute scripts to steal session cookies or modify application behavior. This vulnerability specifically affects the web interface components of Groundhogg, which handles email marketing automation and user management functions, potentially compromising user data and application integrity. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that attackers can deliver payloads through phishing emails, malicious links in social media, or compromised websites that direct users to the vulnerable application.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's web rendering pipeline. The most effective remediation involves implementing proper HTML entity encoding for all user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages, along with implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution. Organizations should also deploy input validation at multiple layers including API endpoints, form processing, and URL parameter handling to prevent malicious data from reaching the rendering engine. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and session management practices can limit the damage if an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability. The fix should align with CWE-79 standards for cross-site scripting prevention and follow ATT&CK framework techniques for mitigating web application vulnerabilities, particularly focusing on T1566 for social engineering and T1071 for application layer protocols to prevent exploitation through various attack vectors.
This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of input validation and output encoding in web applications, particularly in platforms handling sensitive user data and email marketing automation. The persistence of this flaw across multiple versions indicates insufficient security testing and code review processes during the development lifecycle. Organizations utilizing Groundhogg should immediately implement patches or workarounds while conducting comprehensive security assessments of their web applications to identify similar vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include thorough code reviews focusing on all input handling mechanisms and implementation of automated security testing tools to prevent future regressions in the application's security posture.