CVE-2025-41038 in CMF
Summary
by MITRE • 09/04/2025
A vulnerability has been discovered in appRain CMF version 4.0.5, consisting of a stored authenticated XSS due to a lack of proper validation of user input, through the 'data[Group][name]' parameter in /apprain/admin/managegroup/add/.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-41038 represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw within the appRain Content Management Framework version 4.0.5. This security weakness resides in the administrative interface component responsible for managing user groups, specifically within the group addition functionality. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-provided data before storing it within the application's database. The affected parameter 'data[Group][name]' processes group name inputs through the URL path /apprain/admin/managegroup/add/, creating an environment where malicious actors can inject harmful script code that persists in the system.
This stored XSS vulnerability operates through a classic attack vector where authenticated administrators or users with sufficient privileges can manipulate the group name field to include malicious JavaScript code. When the compromised group name is subsequently displayed within the application's administrative interface or rendered in user-facing components, the embedded script executes in the context of other users' browsers who view the affected content. The flaw demonstrates a clear violation of secure coding practices and represents a Category 7 weakness according to CWE classification, specifically falling under CWE-79 which addresses Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it requires only authenticated access, meaning that attackers who can obtain legitimate user credentials or exploit other authentication bypass mechanisms can leverage this flaw.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability extend beyond simple data corruption or display issues. An attacker who successfully exploits this stored XSS can potentially execute malicious scripts that steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, modify administrative interfaces, or even escalate privileges within the application. The persistent nature of stored XSS makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as the malicious code remains active until explicitly removed from the database, allowing for extended periods of exploitation. This flaw can enable attackers to maintain persistence within the application environment and potentially compromise the entire administrative infrastructure. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which covers phishing with malicious attachments and links, as attackers can craft malicious group names that, when viewed by administrators, execute malicious payloads.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-41038 must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. The most direct solution involves implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms for all user-provided data, particularly within administrative interfaces. The application should sanitize all input through comprehensive filtering that removes or escapes potentially dangerous characters and script tags before storing data in the database. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide an additional layer of protection against XSS exploitation by restricting script execution within the application's context. Regular security audits and code reviews should focus on identifying similar input validation gaps throughout the application's codebase, as this vulnerability likely represents a broader pattern of insufficient sanitization practices. Organizations should also implement proper access controls and monitoring of administrative activities to detect unusual behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The fix should include comprehensive testing to ensure that all user inputs are properly sanitized and that output encoding is consistently applied across all display contexts within the application.