CVE-2025-31442 in Search Engine Keywords Highlighter Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/03/2025
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in NotFound Search engine keywords highlighter allows Reflected XSS. This issue affects Search engine keywords highlighter: from n/a through 0.1.3.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/03/2025
This vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw that undermines the security of web applications by allowing malicious actors to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The issue manifests specifically within the NotFound Search engine keywords highlighter component, where input validation mechanisms fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content. The vulnerability enables reflected cross-site scripting attacks, meaning that malicious input is immediately reflected back to the user without proper encoding or sanitization, creating an environment where attackers can execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the victim's browser context. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws according to the CWE database maintained by the MITRE Corporation. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious payload must be crafted to be submitted through a link or form, which is then reflected back to the user's browser, making it particularly effective for phishing attacks and session hijacking.
The technical implementation of this flaw occurs during the web page generation process where user input intended for search keyword highlighting is directly incorporated into HTML output without proper HTML entity encoding or script sanitization. When a user visits a page with maliciously crafted search terms, the application fails to neutralize special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of the victim's browsing session. This vulnerability affects all versions of the search engine keywords highlighter from the initial release through version 0.1.3, indicating that the input sanitization mechanism was either absent or inadequately implemented throughout this version range. The impact is particularly concerning as it allows attackers to perform actions such as stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or modifying page content to deceive users. According to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to the T1059.007 technique for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, and the T1566.001 technique for Initial Access: Spearphishing Attachment, making it a critical threat vector for both automated exploitation and targeted social engineering campaigns.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable complete session takeover attacks and provide attackers with persistent access to user accounts. When exploited successfully, the reflected XSS allows attackers to execute code in the victim's browser, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive information, account takeovers, or the ability to perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability's presence in the search engine keywords highlighter component suggests that any application using this functionality for displaying search results or keyword highlighting is at risk, particularly in environments where user-generated search terms are displayed without proper sanitization. Organizations implementing this component should be aware that attackers can craft search queries containing malicious payloads that will execute when other users view the highlighted search results, creating a vector for widespread exploitation. The vulnerability's severity classification aligns with the OWASP Top Ten 2021 category A03: Injection, which emphasizes the importance of proper input validation and output encoding in preventing such attacks. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including email links, web forms, or API endpoints that process search queries, making it a comprehensive threat that requires immediate remediation. The lack of version information in the affected range suggests that the developers may have failed to implement proper input validation in their initial release, indicating a broader security architecture issue that may affect other components of the application.