CVE-2025-41039 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[sconfig][admin_landing_page]', 'data[sconfig][currency]', 'data[sconfig][db_version]', 'data[sconfig][default_pagination]', 'data[sconfig][emailsetup_from_email]', 'data[sconfig][emailsetup_host]', 'data[sconfig][emailsetup_password]', 'data[sconfig][emailsetup_port]', 'data[sconfig][emailsetup_username]', 'data[sconfig][fileresource_id]', 'data[sconfig][large_image_height]', 'data[sconfig][large_image_width]' and 'data[sconfig][time_zone_padding]' parameters in /apprain/admin/config/opts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/05/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw in appRain CMF version 4.0.5 that stems from insufficient input validation within the administrative configuration management interface. The flaw affects multiple configuration parameters including admin landing page settings, currency specifications, database version information, pagination defaults, email server configurations, file resource identifiers, image dimensions, and time zone settings. The vulnerability exists because the application fails to properly sanitize or validate user input before storing it in the database and subsequently rendering it in subsequent HTTP responses without appropriate output encoding. This creates an authenticated stored XSS vector where a malicious actor with administrative privileges can inject malicious scripts that will execute in the context of other administrators or users who view the affected configuration pages. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a classic case of inadequate input sanitization in web applications. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk as it allows attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the browser context of authenticated users, potentially enabling session hijacking, privilege escalation, or data exfiltration. Attackers could leverage this flaw to steal administrator session cookies, modify application settings, or redirect users to malicious domains. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a technique involving code injection and privilege escalation through web application vulnerabilities. The impact is particularly severe given that the affected parameters control core application functionality including email server configurations and database version information, which could be exploited to gain deeper system access. The vulnerability requires authentication to exploit, but once compromised, provides attackers with persistent access to administrative functions. Organizations should immediately patch to version 4.0.6 or later, implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms, and consider implementing additional security controls such as web application firewalls and regular security audits. The flaw demonstrates the critical importance of sanitizing all user-supplied data in web applications and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of administrative interfaces. Remediation efforts should focus on implementing proper input validation, output encoding, and ensuring that all configuration parameters undergo strict sanitization before being stored and rendered in the user interface. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls and regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities across their application portfolio.