CVE-2026-19434 in Pentestify
Summary
by MITRE • 08/11/2026
Cross-site Scripting in the finding renderer in maalfer Pentestify before 2.3.1 allows authenticated users to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the application origin via HTML markup stored in a finding's severity field, which the frontend interpolates unescaped into class and style attributes when rendering the report.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/11/2026
This vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw in the maalfer Pentestify application that affects versions prior to 231. The issue stems from improper input sanitization within the finding renderer component where HTML markup entered by authenticated users into the severity field is not adequately escaped or filtered before being interpolated into class and style attributes during report rendering. This creates a persistent cross-site scripting vector that allows attackers with valid credentials to inject malicious javascript code that executes within the application context.
The technical exploitation occurs through the application's frontend rendering pipeline where user-supplied content flows directly into HTML attribute interpolation without proper sanitization measures. When the reporting system processes findings containing crafted HTML markup in their severity fields, the unescaped content gets embedded into class and style attributes, creating an XSS vulnerability that can be triggered whenever reports are rendered. This vulnerability falls under CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to sanitize user input before incorporating it into web page elements.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it enables authenticated attackers to perform various malicious activities within the application environment. Attackers could potentially steal session cookies, modify report data, redirect users to malicious sites, or escalate their privileges by exploiting other vulnerabilities that may exist in the application's authentication and authorization mechanisms. The persistence of this vulnerability means that any user with appropriate permissions can store malicious content that will execute every time reports are viewed, making it particularly dangerous for environments where multiple users have access to the reporting system.
From an attack perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, as it allows adversaries to execute javascript code directly within the browser context of legitimate users. The authenticated nature of the attack means that attackers do not need to rely on phishing or social engineering techniques to gain initial access, as they can leverage existing user credentials to establish a foothold within the application. Organizations should implement input validation and output encoding measures at multiple levels including client-side and server-side sanitization to prevent such vulnerabilities from being exploited.
The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper data sanitization in web applications that process user-generated content, particularly in reporting systems where users may have legitimate reasons to include formatting information. Security controls should include automatic escaping of HTML characters, implementation of Content Security Policy headers, and regular security testing of application components that handle user input. The remediation approach should focus on ensuring all user-supplied data is properly escaped or sanitized before being interpolated into HTML attributes, with additional validation to prevent malicious markup from being stored in the database.
Organizations using maalfer Pentestify should immediately upgrade to version 2.3.1 or later where this vulnerability has been addressed through proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. The fix likely involves implementing strict HTML escaping for all user content before rendering and potentially implementing a whitelist-based approach for acceptable HTML tags and attributes in fields where rich text formatting is permitted. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical need for comprehensive security testing and the importance of addressing vulnerabilities in application components that handle user input, particularly those involved in report generation and data presentation functions.