CVE-2022-24851 Explained : Impact and Mitigation
Discover the impact of CVE-2022-24851, affecting LDAP Account Manager versions prior to 7.9.1. Learn about the stored XSS and path traversal vulnerabilities, their exploitation, and mitigation steps.
LDAP Account Manager (LAM) was found to have two critical security vulnerabilities - stored XSS and path traversal, impacting versions prior to 7.9.1. An attacker with administrative access could exploit these issues to trigger stored XSS attacks and manipulate file paths.
Understanding CVE-2022-24851
This CVE describes two vulnerabilities in LDAPAccountManager/LAM: stored XSS and path traversal.
What is CVE-2022-24851?
LDAP Account Manager (LAM) is an open-source web frontend used for managing entries in an LDAP directory. The vulnerabilities allowed authenticated users to execute stored XSS attacks by manipulating parameters in the profile editor and exporting malicious PDFs with manipulated file paths.
The Impact of CVE-2022-24851
The vulnerabilities assigned a CVSS base score of 8.1 (High) and required the attacker to have administrative privileges to exploit them. The impact includes high confidentiality and integrity risks.
Technical Details of CVE-2022-24851
Both vulnerabilities are identified by the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) system as follows:
Vulnerability Description
- Stored XSS: Improper neutralization of input during web page generation, leading to stored XSS attacks.
- Path Traversal: Improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, enabling path traversal attacks.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Affected Product: LDAPAccountManager
- Vulnerable Versions: < 7.9.1
Exploitation Mechanism
- Stored XSS: An authenticated user can insert XSS payloads in profiles, triggering attacks when accessed by other users.
- Path Traversal: In the PDF editor, manipulation of file paths allows the inclusion of unauthorized images in exported PDFs.
Mitigation and Prevention
To secure systems from CVE-2022-24851, the following steps are recommended:
Immediate Steps to Take
- Organizations must update LDAP Account Manager to version 7.9.1 or later to patch the vulnerabilities.
- Admins should review and sanitize user inputs to prevent XSS and path traversal attacks.
Long-Term Security Practices
- Regular security audits and code reviews can help detect and mitigate similar vulnerabilities in the future.
Patching and Updates
- Always stay up-to-date with security patches and software updates to address known vulnerabilities and enhance cybersecurity.