CVE-2025-41057 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/rich_text_editor.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2025
This vulnerability resides within the appRain Content Management Framework version 4.0.5 and represents a stored cross-site scripting flaw that arises from insufficient input validation mechanisms. The issue specifically manifests through the 'data[Addon][layouts]' and 'data[Addon][layouts_except]' parameters within the /apprain/developer/addons/update/rich_text_editor endpoint, creating a persistent security risk that affects authenticated users with administrative privileges. The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-79 which describes improper neutralization of input during web page generation, and the ATT&CK technique T1190 specifically addresses exploitation of vulnerabilities in web applications to execute malicious scripts.
The technical exploitation occurs when an authenticated attacker with sufficient privileges submits malicious input through the rich text editor interface, which then gets stored within the application's database without proper sanitization or validation. When other users access pages that render this stored content, the malicious script executes in their browser context, potentially allowing for session hijacking, credential theft, or further compromise of the affected system. The vulnerability's persistence stems from the stored nature of the XSS, meaning the malicious payload remains active until explicitly removed from the database.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it provides attackers with a potential foothold for more sophisticated attacks within the application environment. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges, access sensitive administrative functions, or redirect users to malicious domains. The attack surface is limited to authenticated users who have access to the addon management interface, but this access level provides sufficient opportunity for privilege escalation attacks that could ultimately compromise the entire application infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's data processing pipeline. The recommended approach includes sanitizing all user-provided input through proper validation routines that reject or escape potentially dangerous characters before storage. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers and using secure coding practices for the rich text editor component can significantly reduce the exploitation risk. The application should also enforce proper access controls and privilege separation to limit the damage scope of any successful exploitation attempts. Regular security audits and input validation testing should be integrated into the development lifecycle to identify similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited in production environments.