Executive brief
NodeBB is an open-source community discussion platform. A cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the outgoing link handler allows unauthenticated attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in other users' browsers, potentially stealing session cookies, credentials, or sensitive information when users click on crafted links.
Technical details
The vulnerability is a reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) flaw in the Controllers.outgoing function within controllers/index.js in NodeBB before version 0.8.2. The outgoing link handler fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before rendering it in the response, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary JavaScript code. The attack requires no authentication and is triggered when a user clicks a malicious link or visits an attacker-controlled page that references the vulnerable endpoint. An attacker can steal session tokens, perform actions on behalf of the victim, or redirect users to phishing sites. The vulnerability was fixed in version 0.8.2 via a properly sanitized implementation of the outgoing link handler.
Affected products
- NodeBB NodeBB before 0.8.2
Timeline
- 2015-07-30: disclosed
- 2015-07-30: patched: Fixed in PR #3371 and released in version 0.8.2
- 2019-05-01: advisory: GHSA-72fv-qgj6-2w2p published