When creating a new report, it is possible to inject arbitrary JavaScript into the page via the name field. This could be used to steal cookies, execute unwanted actions, etc. XSS is a risk with any form of data injection, but it is especially dangerous with performance data. Because it’s often difficult to determine how a piece of code will be used in the real world, XSS can lead to unintended consequences. For example, an attacker could use this vulnerability to install a malicious extension on a user’s browser, hijack a connection to a financial institution, or use it to collect private data from a user’s email account. Lastly, XSS is dangerous because it is nearly impossible to prevent. Since it is injected into the HTML of the website, there is no way to control or filter it.

Mitigation Strategies

To mitigate XSS, you can use the X-Frame-Options header to limit the number of sites that can embed your page. This will prevent any attackers from using your site as a frame. You could also use the Content Security Policy (CSP) to define which types of content are allowed on your website. For example, you could specify that scripts are only allowed from whitelisted domains or specific sources, like Googlebot or GitHub. In order to prevent an attacker from injecting malicious JavaScript into a form field, you could restrict input elements using HTML5 input validation or a custom form tag.

What does this vulnerability allow an attacker to do?

The vulnerability allows an attacker to inject arbitrary JavaScript into the page. They can then use this to steal cookies, execute unwanted actions, etc.

Summary

XSS vulnerabilities are a threat because they allow malicious users to steal, hijack, or manipulate your website. They can also lead to the installation of unwanted software and data theft from email accounts. Preventing XSS is nearly impossible because it is injected into the HTML of the page.

Timeline

Published on: 08/23/2022 19:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 08/26/2022 20:30:00 UTC

References