CVE-2024-1437: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') Vulnerability in José Fernandez Adsmonetizer Allows Reflected XSS

A security vulnerability has been identified in the José Fernandez Adsmonetizer package, which allows attackers to inject executable JavaScript code through the URL. This can lead to potential data theft, manipulation, and other unauthorized activities on the target system. The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2024-1437, specifically impacts Adsmonetizer versions from n/a through 3.1.2.

Details

This Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability, also known as a Reflected XSS vulnerability, occurs when user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being included in a web page. In this particular case, it allows an attacker to craft a malicious URL containing JavaScript code. When a victim clicks on the URL, the website renders the supplied input as executable JavaScript code, which runs in the victim's browser.

To exploit the CVE-2024-1437 vulnerability, an attacker can use a URL like the following

https://example.com/adsmonetizer?search=<script>alert('XSS')</script>;

Upon clicking on this URL, the victim is shown a web page with an alert showing "XSS" – indicating that the JavaScript code has been executed. An attacker can craft more malicious payloads to steal user cookies, manipulate web application content, redirect victims to malicious sites, etc.

Code Snippet

The vulnerability exists due to improper input validation in the search parameter of the Adsmonetizer package. The following code snippet demonstrates the issue:

// Vulnerable code in search.js (Adsmonetizer version 3.1.2)
function searchAds(query) {
...
  try {
    const searchQuery = query || document.location.search.slice('?search='.length);
    const decodedQuery = decodeURIComponent(searchQuery);
    // The decodedQuery is not sanitized before being used in the HTML template
    document.querySelector('.search-box').innerHTML = ${decodedQuery};
  } catch (error) {
...
}

Possible Mitigation

The immediate solution is to update the José Fernandez Adsmonetizer package to the latest version. To mitigate the risk of future XSS vulnerabilities, developers should implement proper input validation and encoding mechanisms for all user-supplied content, both server-side and client-side.

Furthermore, restricting the use of JavaScript execution in application components, using secure coding techniques, and implementing content security policies can strengthen the overall security posture of web applications.

Original References

- CVE-2024-1437 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') in José Fernandez Adsmonetizer
- OWASP XSS Prevention Cheat Sheet – A detailed guide to prevent XSS attacks in web applications
- Content Security Policy (CSP) – Learn more about implementing Content Security Policies to prevent XSS attacks

In conclusion, the CVE-2024-1437 vulnerability poses a serious risk to users and web applications utilizing the impacted versions of José Fernandez Adsmonetizer. It is crucial for developers to update their package, implement proper input validation and encoding mechanisms, and adopt secure coding practices to minimize the risk of future XSS vulnerabilities in their applications.

Timeline

Published on: 02/29/2024 06:15:46 UTC
Last modified on: 02/29/2024 13:49:29 UTC