CVE-2025-41053 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[Addon][layouts]' and 'data[Addon][layouts_except]' parameters in /apprain/developer/addons/update/commonresource.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/05/2025
This vulnerability exists within appRain CMF version 4.0.5 where an authenticated attacker with access to the developer section can inject malicious JavaScript code through the 'data[Addon][layouts]' and 'data[Addon][layouts_except]' parameters. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly filter user-supplied data before it is stored in the application's database and subsequently rendered back to users. This represents a classic stored cross-site scripting vulnerability where malicious payloads persist in the system and execute whenever affected pages are accessed by other users. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it occurs within the developer addons update functionality, suggesting that legitimate developers may unknowingly introduce malicious code during routine maintenance operations. According to CWE-079, this vulnerability falls under the category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically the stored variant where the malicious script is permanently stored on the target server. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this under T1566.001 - Phishing via Social Engineering, as attackers could leverage this vulnerability to craft malicious payloads that compromise user sessions or redirect them to malicious sites.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an authenticated user context, meaning that an attacker must first obtain valid credentials to the application's developer section. Once authenticated, the attacker can manipulate the specified parameters during the addon update process, storing malicious JavaScript code that will execute in the context of other users who view the affected pages. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious payload remains persistent even after the initial injection, making it particularly dangerous for long-term compromise of the application environment. The vulnerability affects the commonresource update endpoint within the developer addons module, indicating that the issue is specifically within the application's administrative interface rather than the frontend user-facing components. This creates a potential attack vector where an attacker with developer privileges could compromise the entire application ecosystem, potentially leading to privilege escalation or lateral movement within the system. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as the stored payload could be crafted to steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or even execute additional malicious operations through the compromised user's privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability could be severe for organizations using appRain CMF, as it provides a pathway for attackers to compromise user sessions and potentially gain deeper access to the application infrastructure. The vulnerability's persistence means that once exploited, the malicious code continues to execute until manually removed from the database, potentially allowing for extended periods of unauthorized access. Organizations may face significant reputational damage if users' sessions are compromised or if the application becomes a vector for delivering malware to end users. The vulnerability also increases the risk of privilege escalation if the authenticated user has elevated permissions within the application, as the stored XSS could be used to extract sensitive information or perform actions beyond the attacker's initial access level. From a security operations perspective, this vulnerability would be challenging to detect through standard monitoring as the malicious code is stored within legitimate application data, potentially evading traditional security controls. The remediation process requires careful database inspection and sanitization to remove existing malicious payloads, followed by implementation of proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive logging of all developer activities and parameter modifications to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular security testing including automated vulnerability scanning and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar issues within the application's codebase. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of implementing defense-in-depth strategies that include both input validation at the application level and output encoding to prevent XSS attacks, as well as regular security updates to address known vulnerabilities in third-party components and frameworks.