CVE-2026-19744 in Pentestify
Summary
by MITRE • 08/13/2026
Cross-site Scripting in the Markdown renderer in maalfer Pentestify before 2.3.2 allows authenticated users to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the application origin via a Markdown link whose URL contains a double quote, which closes the anchor's href attribute because the renderer's sanitization step does not escape quotes
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/13/2026
This cross-site scripting vulnerability exists within the markdown renderer component of maalfer Pentestify version 2.3.1 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that enables authenticated attackers to inject malicious javascript code into the application environment. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization during the markdown rendering process, specifically when processing anchor tags with href attributes containing double quotes. When an authenticated user crafts a markdown link where the url parameter includes a double quote character, the renderer fails to properly escape this special character, allowing the quote to close the href attribute prematurely and enabling arbitrary javascript execution within the application's origin context.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic improper output encoding flaw that aligns with CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation. The markdown parser processes user-supplied content without adequate sanitization of special characters in url parameters, creating an injection vector where attacker-controlled data can manipulate the rendered html structure. This occurs because the renderer's security measures fail to properly escape double quotes that appear within href attribute values, allowing malicious input to break out of the intended attribute context and inject additional html or javascript code.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it provides authenticated attackers with the ability to perform session hijacking, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation attacks within the application's security boundaries. Since the vulnerability affects an authenticated user, attackers can leverage this to compromise user sessions, access sensitive information, or manipulate application data in ways that would otherwise be restricted by proper security controls. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires minimal user interaction beyond creating malicious markdown content, making it a persistent threat within environments where users have write access to markdown rendering features.
The vulnerability's exploitation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as attackers can craft malicious markdown documents that appear legitimate but contain embedded javascript payloads when rendered by the vulnerable application. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to maalfer Pentestify version 2.3.2 or later, implementing proper input sanitization for all user-supplied content, and establishing comprehensive output encoding controls. Additional defensive measures include deploying web application firewalls with regex-based protections against malicious quote sequences, implementing content security policies to restrict script execution, and conducting regular security assessments of markdown rendering components to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications.