CVE-2024-3938
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows attackers to inject HTML content into the password reset page via URL parameters. This affects all users accessing the vulnerable login page, potentially enabling phishing attacks or content manipulation. The issue has been patched by the vendor.
💻 Affected Systems
- dotCMS
📦 What is this software?
Dotcms by Dotcms
Dotcms by Dotcms
Dotcms by Dotcms
Dotcms by Dotcms
Dotcms by Dotcms
Dotcms by Dotcms
Dotcms by Dotcms
Dotcms by Dotcms
Dotcms by Dotcms
Dotcms by Dotcms
Dotcms by Dotcms
Dotcms by Dotcms
Dotcms by Dotcms
Dotcms by Dotcms
Dotcms by Dotcms
Dotcms by Dotcms
Dotcms by Dotcms
Dotcms by Dotcms
Dotcms by Dotcms
Dotcms by Dotcms
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could create convincing phishing pages that steal credentials or redirect users to malicious sites by injecting complete HTML forms or scripts.
Likely Case
Attackers inject basic HTML links or content to mislead users, potentially redirecting them to phishing sites or displaying misleading information.
If Mitigated
With proper input validation and output encoding, injected HTML would be displayed as plain text rather than rendered as HTML elements.
🎯 Exploit Status
The exploit requires no authentication and can be executed by simply crafting a malicious URL. The provided example demonstrates basic HTML injection.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Not specified in provided references
Vendor Advisory: https://www.dotcms.com/security/SI-71
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Apply the official patch from dotCMS. 2. Update to the latest secure version. 3. Verify the fix by testing the vulnerable endpoint.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation Filter
allImplement server-side input validation to sanitize URL parameters before processing
Output Encoding
allApply proper HTML encoding to all user-controlled data before rendering in responses
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement a web application firewall (WAF) with HTML injection detection rules
- Disable or restrict access to the vulnerable login page if alternative authentication methods exist
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Access the login page with HTML injection in resetEmail parameter: http://localhost:8082/dotAdmin/#/public/login?resetEmailSent=true&resetEmail=<h1>TEST</h1>Check Version:
Check dotCMS version through admin interface or application propertiesVerify Fix Applied:
Test the same injection attempt; HTML should be displayed as plain text rather than rendered📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual URL parameters containing HTML tags in login requests
- Multiple failed login attempts with HTML payloads
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to login endpoint with HTML content in query parameters
- Unusual redirects from login page
SIEM Query:
source="web_server" AND uri="*/public/login*" AND (query="*<*" OR query="*>*" OR query="*href*" OR query="*script*")