CVE-2025-46440 in kStats Reloaded Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/23/2025
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Mark kStats Reloaded allows Reflected XSS. This issue affects kStats Reloaded: from n/a through 0.7.4.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/23/2025
Cross-site scripting vulnerabilities represent one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws, with the specific weakness identified in Mark kStats Reloaded exemplifying how inadequate input validation can lead to severe exploitation opportunities. This reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability occurs when the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web pages, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary scripts within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability affects versions of kStats Reloaded ranging from an unspecified starting point through version 0.7.4, indicating a significant timeframe during which the application remained susceptible to this class of attack.
The technical flaw manifests when user input is directly echoed back to web pages without appropriate sanitization or encoding measures, allowing attackers to craft malicious payloads that exploit the application's failure to neutralize potentially dangerous characters and script elements. When a victim visits a specially crafted URL containing malicious script code within its parameters, the application processes this input and reflects it back in the HTTP response, executing the injected JavaScript in the victim's browser context. This reflected nature means the attack payload is not stored on the server but rather delivered through user interaction with a malicious link, making the exploitation both immediate and highly effective against unsuspecting users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking to encompass broader security implications including potential privilege escalation, data manipulation, and establishment of persistent attack vectors. Attackers can leverage reflected XSS to steal cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive information from authenticated users, potentially gaining unauthorized access to administrative functions or sensitive data within the application's scope. The vulnerability also enables more sophisticated attacks such as keylogging, form hijacking, or redirection to malicious sites that could further compromise user systems and network security posture.
Security frameworks such as CWE 79 provide comprehensive categorization of this vulnerability type, classifying it as "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation" which directly maps to the reflected XSS condition present in kStats Reloaded. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques such as T1566.001 (Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment) and T1059.007 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript), representing both the initial compromise vector and execution method for attackers. The vulnerability also intersects with T1213.002 (Data from Information Repositories: Web Application Firewall) as organizations may need to implement additional protections or remediation measures to address this weakness in their web application security controls.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of the affected versions, implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's codebase. Organizations should deploy proper content security policies, utilize secure coding practices including automatic HTML escaping for dynamic content, and implement comprehensive web application firewalls to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the application ecosystem, while user education regarding suspicious links and phishing awareness remains critical in mitigating the broader risk landscape surrounding reflected XSS vulnerabilities.