CVE-2026-45778 Overview
CVE-2026-45778 is a stored-to-reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Open XDMoD, an open framework for collecting and analyzing high-performance computing (HPC) metrics. An authenticated attacker can inject malicious JavaScript into their user profile, then abuse the password reset functionality to deliver a link that reflects the unsanitized payload in the victim's browser. Successful exploitation can lead to credential capture and full account takeover. All deployments prior to Open XDMoD 11.0.3 are affected. The maintainers patched the issue in version 11.0.3.
Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can take over Open XDMoD accounts, including administrator accounts, by chaining profile injection with the password reset email flow [CWE-79].
Affected Products
- Open XDMoD (ubccr/xdmod) all versions prior to 11.0.3
- Buffalo Open XDMoD deployments listed under cpe:2.3:a:buffalo:open_xdmod
- HPC environments using Open XDMoD for resource accounting and metrics analysis
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-04-06 - Vulnerability reported privately to the Open XDMoD maintainers
- 2026-05-12 - Patch released in Open XDMoD 11.0.3
- 2026-06-05 - CVE-2026-45778 published to NVD
- 2026-06-10 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-45778
Vulnerability Analysis
The flaw is a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) issue classified under [CWE-79]. Open XDMoD fails to sanitize user-controlled fields stored in the user profile before they are rendered in an HTML page reachable through the password reset workflow. When a victim follows a password reset link generated by the application, the page reflects the attacker-supplied content from the profile and executes it as JavaScript in the victim's browser session.
Because the payload executes in the authenticated origin of the Open XDMoD web interface, the attacker can read session tokens, exfiltrate CSRF tokens, and submit authenticated requests on behalf of the victim. Targeting an administrator results in privileged account takeover and exposure of HPC usage data collected by the platform.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing output encoding of user profile fields when they are rendered into the HTML page served by the password reset functionality. The application trusts profile attributes that an authenticated user can freely modify and emits them into the response without contextual escaping, enabling a stored-then-reflected XSS chain.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires the attacker to hold a valid, low-privilege Open XDMoD account and requires victim interaction. The attacker stores a JavaScript payload in their own profile, then triggers a password reset that produces a link to an HTML page rendering attacker-controlled data. The attacker delivers the link to a target user, typically via email or chat. When the victim visits the link in an authenticated browser session, the payload executes and can harvest credentials or session material.
No verified public proof-of-concept is available. See the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-3pv7-qvc3-h527 for vendor details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-45778
Indicators of Compromise
- Open XDMoD user profile fields containing HTML tags, <script> markers, javascript: URIs, or event handler attributes such as onerror= and onload=.
- Password reset emails or links referencing accounts whose profile data has been recently modified by a low-privilege user.
- Unexpected outbound requests from administrator browsers to attacker-controlled domains shortly after visiting Open XDMoD password reset URLs.
Detection Strategies
- Review web server access logs for requests to the password reset endpoint where the rendered response contains profile data with HTML control characters.
- Audit the Open XDMoD user database for profile fields containing encoded or raw script content, paying attention to display name and contact fields.
- Correlate authentication events with profile-update events from the same user to flag accounts modifying profile data followed by password reset attempts against other users.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose application logging for profile update and password reset operations and forward logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation.
- Monitor administrator session activity for anomalous API calls originating immediately after a password reset link is opened.
- Alert on any HTTP response from the Open XDMoD portal that includes unescaped < or > characters within previously stored profile fields.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-45778
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade all Open XDMoD instances to version 11.0.3 or later as the primary remediation.
- Audit existing user profiles for stored script payloads and sanitize or reset affected fields before re-enabling the password reset flow.
- Force a password rotation for administrative accounts that may have visited password reset links during the exposure window.
Patch Information
The vulnerability was patched in Open XDMoD 11.0.3, released on 2026-05-12. The fix introduces output encoding for user-controlled profile data rendered through the password reset page. Refer to the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-3pv7-qvc3-h527 for the upstream remediation guidance. Operators unable to upgrade immediately should apply the maintainer-provided patch manually.
Workarounds
- Apply the upstream patch manually to vulnerable installations as recommended by the maintainers in the advisory.
- Restrict Open XDMoD account creation to trusted users to limit the population of accounts capable of staging the stored payload.
- Deploy a Content Security Policy (CSP) that disallows inline script execution on the Open XDMoD portal to reduce exploitability of reflected payloads.
- Temporarily disable or gate the password reset email flow until the patch is deployed.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
