CVE-2025-40893 in Guardian
Summary
by MITRE • 12/18/2025
A Stored HTML Injection vulnerability was discovered in the Asset List functionality due to improper validation of network traffic data. An unauthenticated attacker can send specially crafted network packets to inject HTML tags into asset attributes. When a victim views the affected assets in the Asset List (and similar functions), the injected HTML renders in their browser, enabling phishing and possibly open redirect attacks. Full XSS exploitation and direct information disclosure are prevented by the existing input validation and Content Security Policy configuration.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/18/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical stored html injection flaw within the asset management system's asset list functionality. The issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize network traffic data before processing and storing it within the system's database. When an attacker crafts malicious network packets containing html tags and submits them through the asset list interface, these payloads are stored persistently rather than being properly escaped or filtered. The vulnerability affects the asset attributes that are later displayed in the asset list view and similar functions, creating a persistent cross-site scripting vector that can be triggered whenever legitimate users access these affected pages.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a classic stored cross-site scripting attack pattern where the malicious html content is not immediately executed but rather stored within the application's data store. This allows attackers to bypass traditional input validation mechanisms that might only check data at the point of entry. When legitimate users navigate to the asset list or related functions, their browsers execute the injected html code within the context of the vulnerable application, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability's classification aligns with cwe-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and it maps to attack technique t1059.007 within the attack framework for command and scripting interpreter execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple phishing attacks to potentially enable more sophisticated exploitation chains. While the existing input validation and content security policy configurations prevent full exploitation and direct information disclosure, attackers can still leverage the injection to create convincing phishing pages that appear legitimate within the application context. The persistent nature of stored html injection means that the attack remains effective until the malicious content is manually removed from the system, potentially affecting multiple users over extended periods. This vulnerability particularly impacts organizations that rely heavily on asset management systems for tracking critical infrastructure components.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data processing pipeline. The system must employ proper html escaping and sanitization techniques before storing any user-provided data, ensuring that all html content is treated as data rather than executable code. Organizations should implement comprehensive content security policies that further restrict script execution and prevent unauthorized content injection. Regular security audits and automated vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar input validation gaps in other system components. Additionally, privileged access controls should be strengthened to limit the ability of unauthorized users to submit potentially malicious content, while also implementing proper logging and monitoring to detect suspicious activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.