CVE-2019-25263 Overview
CVE-2019-25263 is a persistent cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting Zendesk SweetHawk Survey version 1.6. This vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious scripts through support ticket submissions. When exploited, attackers can insert XSS payloads such as script tags into ticket text fields, which then automatically execute when survey pages are subsequently loaded by other users viewing the compromised content.
Persistent XSS vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because the malicious payload is stored on the target server and delivered to every user who views the affected content. In the context of a customer support survey application, this creates opportunities for session hijacking, credential theft, and further compromise of both support agents and customers interacting with the Zendesk platform.
Critical Impact
Attackers can inject persistent malicious scripts into support tickets that execute in the browser context of other users viewing survey pages, potentially compromising session data and sensitive information.
Affected Products
- Zendesk SweetHawk Survey version 1.6
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-02-03 - CVE-2019-25263 published to NVD
- 2026-02-04 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2019-25263
Vulnerability Analysis
This vulnerability is classified as CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation), commonly known as Cross-Site Scripting. The fundamental issue lies in how the SweetHawk Survey application processes and renders user-supplied input from support ticket submissions.
When a user submits content through a support ticket, the application fails to properly sanitize or encode the input before storing it in the database. Subsequently, when the survey pages are rendered and displayed to other users (such as support agents or administrators), the unsanitized content is included directly in the HTML output without proper encoding. This allows embedded JavaScript code to execute within the victim's browser session.
The network-based attack vector means this vulnerability can be exploited remotely by any authenticated user who can submit support tickets containing malicious payloads.
Root Cause
The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation and output encoding within the SweetHawk Survey application. The application accepts user input from ticket submissions without properly sanitizing special characters and HTML/JavaScript content. When this content is later rendered on survey pages, it is not properly escaped or encoded, allowing embedded scripts to execute as if they were legitimate application code.
Attack Vector
The attack is carried out over the network by submitting malicious content through the support ticket interface. An attacker with low-level privileges (the ability to create support tickets) can craft a ticket containing JavaScript payloads. The attack requires some user interaction—a victim must view the survey page containing the malicious content for the script to execute.
The malicious payload persists in the application's data store, meaning every subsequent user who views the affected survey page will have the malicious script execute in their browser context. This enables the attacker to potentially steal session cookies, capture keystrokes, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users.
Detection Methods for CVE-2019-25263
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual or suspicious JavaScript code appearing in support ticket content, particularly containing <script> tags, event handlers, or encoded payloads
- Support tickets containing HTML tags that would not normally appear in legitimate customer submissions
- Anomalous network requests from survey pages to external or unknown domains
- Reports from users experiencing unexpected browser behavior when viewing survey pages
Detection Strategies
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block common XSS patterns in incoming ticket submissions
- Configure Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict script execution and report violations
- Deploy browser-based monitoring to detect unexpected script execution or DOM manipulation on survey pages
- Review application logs for ticket submissions containing suspicious patterns such as <script>, javascript:, onerror=, or other common XSS vectors
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable logging and alerting for CSP violations to identify attempted or successful XSS exploitation
- Monitor for unusual outbound connections from the Zendesk environment that may indicate data exfiltration
- Regularly audit support ticket content for patterns consistent with XSS payloads
- Implement user behavior analytics to detect anomalous activity following potential XSS exploitation
How to Mitigate CVE-2019-25263
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade the SweetHawk Survey application to a patched version that addresses the XSS vulnerability
- Implement strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to prevent inline script execution
- Review and sanitize existing support ticket data for potentially malicious content
- Consider temporarily restricting access to survey functionality until remediation is complete
Patch Information
Organizations using SweetHawk Survey version 1.6 should upgrade to a newer version that addresses this vulnerability. For detailed patch information and updates, consult the following resources:
Additional technical details about this vulnerability are available at Exploit-DB #47781.
Workarounds
- Implement a web application firewall (WAF) with XSS detection rules to filter malicious input before it reaches the application
- Deploy strict Content Security Policy headers with script-src 'self' to prevent execution of inline scripts
- Apply input validation at the application layer to strip or encode HTML special characters from ticket submissions
- Consider using HTML sanitization libraries to clean user input before storage and display
# Example Content Security Policy header configuration for Apache
# Add to .htaccess or virtual host configuration
Header set Content-Security-Policy "default-src 'self'; script-src 'self'; style-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline'; img-src 'self' data:; frame-ancestors 'self';"
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
