CVE-2025-24966 in rengine
Summary
by MITRE • 02/04/2025
reNgine is an automated reconnaissance framework for web applications. HTML Injection occurs when an application improperly validates or sanitizes user inputs, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary HTML code. In this scenario, the vulnerability exists in the "Add Target" functionality of the application, where the Target Organization and Target Description fields accept HTML payloads. The injected HTML is rendered and executed in the target area, potentially leading to malicious actions. Exploitation of HTML Injection can compromise the application's integrity and user trust. Attackers can execute unauthorized actions, steal sensitive information, or trick users into performing harmful actions. The organization's reputation, customer trust, and regulatory compliance could be negatively affected. This issue affects all versions up to and including 2.2.0. Users are advised to monitor the project for future releases which address this issue. There are no known workarounds.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-24966 represents a critical HTML injection flaw within the reNgine reconnaissance framework, specifically affecting versions up to and including 2.2.0. This automated reconnaissance tool designed for web application testing suffers from inadequate input validation mechanisms that permit malicious actors to inject arbitrary HTML code into the application's target management functionality. The vulnerability manifests within the "Add Target" feature where the Target Organization and Target Description fields fail to properly sanitize user-provided content, creating an exploitable vector for cross-site scripting attacks. The flaw stems from the application's insufficient sanitization of user inputs, allowing HTML payloads to be stored and subsequently rendered in the application interface without proper security controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in web applications. When attackers exploit this weakness, they can inject malicious HTML code that gets executed in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized administrative actions within the framework. The operational impact extends beyond simple data corruption as it compromises the fundamental integrity of the reconnaissance tool itself, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate the framework's operational capabilities or gain unauthorized access to sensitive reconnaissance data. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and proper input validation that security standards such as OWASP Top Ten and NIST SP 800-53 require for secure application development.
The exploitation of this HTML injection vulnerability creates significant risks for organizations relying on reNgine for security assessments, as it undermines the trust model between the application and its users. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that appear legitimate within the application interface, potentially leading to social engineering attacks where users are tricked into performing unintended actions. The compromised integrity of the framework could result in false positive or negative security assessments, affecting the accuracy of security postures and potentially leading to undetected real vulnerabilities. Organizations may face reputational damage and regulatory compliance issues if the framework's output becomes unreliable due to malicious injection attempts, as the tool's credibility depends entirely on the accuracy of its data collection and reporting mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate implementation of proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data handling pipeline. The recommended approach involves implementing comprehensive HTML escaping and content security policies that prevent malicious code execution in user-facing interfaces. Organizations should also consider implementing strict input validation rules that reject or sanitize any HTML content within fields that do not legitimately require rich text formatting. Additionally, the application should adopt a principle of least privilege for user permissions, ensuring that even if injection occurs, the attacker's capabilities remain limited. Security patches should include comprehensive testing of all user input fields and the implementation of proper context-aware encoding mechanisms that prevent the execution of injected HTML code in the browser environment. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future releases, with particular attention to input validation controls and secure coding practices that align with industry standards such as ISO 27001 and NIST Cybersecurity Framework.