CVE-2025-22662 in Email Marketing Newsletter Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/04/2025
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in SendPulse SendPulse Email Marketing Newsletter allows Stored XSS. This issue affects SendPulse Email Marketing Newsletter: from n/a through 2.1.5.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/05/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the SendPulse Email Marketing Newsletter system that enables stored XSS attacks. The issue stems from inadequate input sanitization during web page generation processes, where user-supplied data is not properly neutralized before being rendered in web interfaces. The vulnerability affects versions from the initial release through 2.1.5, indicating a persistent flaw that has remained unaddressed for an extended period. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. The stored nature of this XSS vulnerability means that malicious payloads can be permanently injected into the application's database and subsequently executed whenever affected pages are loaded by other users. Attackers can exploit this weakness to inject malicious scripts that will execute in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions within the application. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable attackers to bypass security controls and access sensitive user data or perform operations on behalf of authenticated users.
The operational implications of this vulnerability are severe for any organization using SendPulse Email Marketing Newsletter. Once exploited, attackers can establish persistent backdoors within the application, allowing them to monitor user interactions, steal session cookies, and maintain long-term access to the system. The stored XSS nature means that even after initial exploitation, the malicious code remains active until manually removed from the database, providing attackers with sustained access to compromised systems. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1531 which involves the use of malicious scripts to establish persistence and maintain access within web applications. Organizations relying on SendPulse for email marketing may experience significant data breaches, as the vulnerability allows attackers to access user information, campaign data, and potentially customer contact details. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that email marketing platforms typically contain sensitive business and customer information, making them attractive targets for cybercriminals seeking to exploit such vulnerabilities for financial gain or data theft.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action from affected organizations. The most critical step involves upgrading to a patched version of SendPulse Email Marketing Newsletter beyond version 2.1.5 to address the root cause of the input sanitization failure. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent similar issues in other web applications. Security teams should conduct thorough penetration testing to identify any potential exploitation that may have already occurred within their systems. Additionally, implementing content security policies and regular security audits of web applications can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the future. The remediation process should include reviewing all user input handling mechanisms and ensuring proper sanitization occurs before any data is stored or rendered in web contexts. Organizations should also establish monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts and maintain detailed logs of user activities to identify any unauthorized access patterns that may indicate successful exploitation of this vulnerability.