CVE-2021-3768 : Security Advisory and Response

A detailed overview of CVE-2021-3768 highlighting the impact, technical details, and mitigation strategies.

Understanding CVE-2021-3768

This CVE-2021-3768 involves a Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability found in bookstackapp/bookstack application.

What is CVE-2021-3768?

CVE-2021-3768 refers to a security flaw allowing attackers to execute malicious scripts in the victim's browser while interacting with an insecure web application.

The Impact of CVE-2021-3768

With a CVSS base score of 5.4, this medium severity vulnerability could lead to unauthorized data access and manipulation, compromising user privacy and system integrity.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-3768

Exploring the underlying technical aspects of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw stems from improper neutralization of input during web page generation, enabling stored Cross-site Scripting attacks in the bookstackapp/bookstack application.

Affected Systems and Versions

The issue affects all custom versions of bookstackapp/bookstack prior to version 21.08.2, allowing attackers to exploit the XSS vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

By injecting malicious scripts into the web application, threat actors can manipulate user sessions, steal sensitive data, and deface web pages.

Mitigation and Prevention

Guidelines on mitigating the risks associated with CVE-2021-3768.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to update bookstackapp/bookstack to version 21.08.2 or newer to patch the XSS vulnerability and prevent exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement input validation, output encoding, and Content Security Policy (CSP) to secure web applications against XSS attacks.

Patching and Updates

Regularly monitor security advisories and apply updates promptly to protect systems from emerging vulnerabilities.