CVE-2022-43169: Stored Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability in Rukovoditel v3.2.1

Attention all Rukovoditel users and security enthusiasts, a recently-discovered critical issue poses a significant security risk for anyone using Rukovoditel v3.2.1, an open-source project management app. The stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability takes advantage of the Users Access Groups feature, potentially putting your personal or company information at risk.

Let's take a closer look at the specifics behind this vulnerability and the steps you can take to protect your data.

Overview

The vulnerability in question, CVE-2022-43169, targets the Users Access Groups feature (/index.php?module=users_groups/users_groups) of Rukovoditel v3.2.1. This stored XSS vulnerability enables authenticated attackers to send and execute arbitrary web scripts and inject HTML by employing a malicious payload via the "Name" parameter. This attack becomes active once a user clicks on "Add New Group."

Exploit Details

To understand the exploit, you first need to be familiar with the Users Access Groups function. This feature allows admin-users to create and manage different user groups to manage access levels within the Rukovoditel application.

However, when creating a new group, a lack of user input validation and sanitization leaves an opening for malicious attackers. The vulnerability can be exploited by an authenticated attacker embedding script code within the "Name" parameter when establishing a new group. This injected script is then stored within the application and executed whenever someone views the group list, which can expose users to unintentional code execution and potential data theft.

The following code snippet is an example of a malicious payload

<script>alert('XSS');</script>

Injecting this payload into the "Name" parameter would result in an alert box with the message "XSS" popping up whenever someone views the group list.

Impact

The consequences of this vulnerability can vary, depending on the attacker's intentions. However, some potential outcomes include:

Theft of sensitive information, such as user credentials or confidential project data.

- Hijacking user accounts and unauthorized actions performed by the attacker under the user's identity.

References and Further Reading

For more details about this issue, the original CVE report can be found here: CVE-2022-43169

If you're using Rukovoditel and want to learn more about the potential XSS vulnerabilities and methods for mitigation, refer to the following resources:

- OWASP XSS Prevention Cheat Sheet
- OWASP DOM Based XSS Prevention Cheat Sheet

To avoid falling victim to this vulnerability, follow these steps

1. Update your Rukovoditel application to the latest version, as the developers may have introduced security fixes to mitigate this issue.
2. Ensure that stringent user input validation and sanitization are implemented in all areas where user input is allowed.
3. Regularly perform security audits of your application, using tools like web vulnerability scanners and vulnerability assessment services.

Stay safe, and be vigilant about protecting your data. This particular vulnerability serves as a timely reminder to keep your applications updated and secure at all times.

Timeline

Published on: 10/28/2022 17:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/01/2022 12:48:00 UTC