CVE-2023-48749: Themenectar Salient Core XSS Vulnerability

CVE-2023-48749 Overview

Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Theme nectar Salient Core allows Stored XSS.This issue affects Salient Core: from n/a through 2.0.2.

Critical Impact

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages, potentially compromising user data.

Affected Products

• Themenectar Salient Core

Discovery Timeline

• 2023-11-30 - CVE CVE-2023-48749 published to NVD
• 2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2023-48749

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability arises from the failure to properly neutralize user inputs during web page generation, which leads to Stored XSS. Malicious scripts can be injected by an attacker and executed in the context of a user's browser session.

Root Cause

The core issue stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms in the Themenectar Salient Core plugin.

Attack Vector

This vulnerability can be exploited remotely via a network attack vector. Attackers can craft malicious payloads and deliver them through web forms or input fields.

// Example exploitation code (sanitized)
document.body.innerHTML += '<img src=x onerror=alert(1)>';

Detection Methods for CVE-2023-48749

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual script alerts or pop-ups on web pages
• Unexpected modification of web page content
• Insertion of unknown scripts or iframes

Detection Strategies

Utilize web application firewalls (WAF) to detect and block malicious scripts. Monitor HTTP requests for suspicious payloads targeting input fields.

Monitoring Recommendations

Implement a continuous monitoring solution to track changes in webpage scripts and identify unauthorized modifications promptly.

How to Mitigate CVE-2023-48749

Immediate Actions Required

• Disable the vulnerable plugin until a fix is applied
• Review and validate all user inputs across web applications
• Deploy web application firewalls for additional protection

Patch Information

As of the last update, no official patch has been provided. Users are advised to follow vendor advisories and updates closely.

Workarounds

One effective workaround is to apply input sanitization and output encoding manually to reduce the risk of XSS.

# Configuration example
escHTML() {
  local text="$1"
  text="${text//&/&}"
  text="${text//</<}"
  text="${text//>/>}"
  text="${text//\"/"}"
  text="${text//\'/'}"
  text="${text//\///}"
  echo "$text"
}