CVE-2025-41040 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[code]', 'data[lang][0][key]', 'data[lang][0][value]', 'data[lang][1][key]' and 'data[title]' parameters in /apprain/developer/language/lipsum.xml.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/05/2025
This vulnerability exists within appRain CMF version 4.0.5 and represents a stored cross-site scripting flaw that allows authenticated attackers to inject malicious scripts into the application's language management functionality. The vulnerability specifically affects the lipsum.xml endpoint located at /apprain/developer/language/lipsum.xml where user input is not properly sanitized or validated before being stored and subsequently rendered in the application's user interface. The affected parameters include data[code], data[lang][0][key], data[lang][0][value], data[lang][1][key], and data[title] which are all susceptible to malicious input injection. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws and is categorized as a stored XSS attack since the malicious code is persisted in the application's database and executed whenever the affected content is retrieved and displayed. The vulnerability requires an authenticated user context to exploit, meaning an attacker must first gain valid credentials to the application before being able to leverage this flaw. The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect victims to malicious websites. From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability represents a significant security risk for applications using appRain CMF 4.0.5 as it allows attackers with legitimate user accounts to compromise the application's integrity and potentially escalate their privileges. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a form of credential access and privilege escalation through web application vulnerabilities, with potential for lateral movement within the application environment. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious code persists even after the initial injection, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple users over time. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization practices within the application's data handling pipeline, specifically in the language management module where user-provided content is processed without proper security controls. This flaw demonstrates a critical gap in the application's defense-in-depth strategy, as it fails to implement proper output encoding or input filtering mechanisms that would prevent malicious scripts from being stored and executed. Organizations using this version of appRain CMF should immediately implement mitigations including input validation, output encoding, and proper access controls to prevent unauthorized exploitation. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and updates to prevent the exploitation of known flaws that could be leveraged for more serious security incidents. Security teams should conduct comprehensive testing of all user-input handling mechanisms within the application to identify similar vulnerabilities and implement proper security controls across the entire codebase.