CVE-2025-41055 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/dialogs.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/05/2025
This vulnerability exists within the appRain Content Management Framework version 4.0.5 where a stored cross-site scripting flaw has been identified in the administrative interface. The issue stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing. Attackers with authenticated access can exploit this weakness by manipulating the 'data[Addon][layouts]' and 'data[Addon][layouts_except]' parameters within the specific URL path /apprain/developer/addons/update/dialogs. The vulnerability classifies as a CWE-79 (Cross-site Scripting) with a stored variant, meaning malicious scripts are permanently stored on the server and executed when other users access affected pages. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK technique T1566.001 (Phishing with Malicious Attachments) and T1213.002 (External Remote Services) when attackers leverage authenticated sessions to persist malicious payloads. The flaw represents a critical security weakness in the application's input sanitization process, where user-controlled data flows directly into the application's data processing without adequate validation or encoding.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of other users' browsers. When legitimate administrators or users access pages containing the maliciously stored content, their browsers will execute the injected scripts, potentially leading to session hijacking, privilege escalation, or data exfiltration. The stored nature of this XSS means that the malicious payload remains persistent until manually removed by administrators, creating a long-term threat vector. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to steal administrative credentials, modify application behavior, or redirect users to malicious domains. The exploitation requires only a valid authentication session, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrative privileges are granted to multiple users or where session management is weak. This vulnerability directly impacts the application's integrity and confidentiality, as it enables unauthorized code execution within the application's trusted environment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data flow. The most effective immediate solution involves sanitizing all user-supplied input through proper HTML encoding before storing or rendering data in the application's interface. Implementing Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script execution, while regular security audits should verify that all input parameters are properly validated. The application should enforce strict parameter validation for the affected endpoints, ensuring that only expected data formats are accepted. Organizations should also implement regular security training for administrators to recognize potential phishing attempts that might exploit this vulnerability. Additionally, monitoring for unusual activities in the application's administrative sections can help detect potential exploitation attempts. The fix should include proper parameter sanitization at the point of data entry, with input validation rules that reject potentially malicious content such as script tags or JavaScript event handlers. Regular patch management and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify similar issues in other application components. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to OWASP Top Ten security guidelines, particularly those addressing input validation and output encoding to prevent XSS attacks.