CVE-2021-25989 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the ifme software developed by ifmeorg, affecting versions from 1.0.0 up to v7.31.4. The vulnerability resides in the markdown editor component of the application, where malicious scripts can be injected and persistently stored. The exploitation vector involves an attacker making a victim a Leader of a group within the ifme platform. Once the victim assumes this role, the stored malicious payload is triggered in their browser context. This attack requires the victim to have at least some level of privilege (Leader role), and user interaction is necessary to activate the payload, as the victim must access the affected interface. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality and integrity by allowing the execution of arbitrary scripts in the context of the victim’s session, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of the victim. However, it does not directly affect system availability. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.4 (medium severity), reflecting the network attack vector, low attack complexity, required privileges (PR:L), and user interaction (UI:R). The scope is changed (S:C), indicating that the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, and no official patches have been linked, suggesting that mitigation may rely on configuration or access control adjustments until a patch is available. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79, a common and well-understood class of web application security issues related to improper input sanitization in web content rendering components.

For European organizations using ifme, particularly those leveraging group collaboration features with role-based access controls, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk. An attacker with the ability to assign or influence group leadership roles could execute persistent XSS attacks against privileged users, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions within the platform. This could compromise sensitive organizational data, internal communications, or project management workflows. The impact is heightened in sectors where ifme is used for critical collaboration, such as research institutions, technology firms, or government agencies. The medium severity score reflects that while exploitation requires some privilege and user interaction, the consequences can include loss of confidentiality and integrity of data. Additionally, the cross-site scripting could be leveraged as a foothold for further attacks within the network if the victim’s session has elevated privileges. Given the collaborative nature of the affected feature, lateral movement or privilege escalation within the platform is possible if attackers chain this vulnerability with other weaknesses. The lack of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as the vulnerability has been publicly disclosed since late 2021.

1. Restrict the ability to assign or change group leadership roles to a minimal set of trusted administrators to reduce the risk of attackers gaining the necessary privileges to exploit the vulnerability. 2. Implement strict input validation and output encoding in the markdown editor component to sanitize user-generated content and prevent script injection. If a patch is not available, consider disabling or limiting markdown editor functionality for untrusted users or groups. 3. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers tailored to restrict the execution of inline scripts and limit the sources of executable code, mitigating the impact of XSS payloads. 4. Monitor user role changes and group leadership assignments for unusual activity or unauthorized modifications, integrating alerts into security information and event management (SIEM) systems. 5. Educate users with leadership roles about the risks of clicking unknown links or interacting with suspicious content within the platform to reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation. 6. Regularly check for updates or patches from ifmeorg and apply them promptly once available. 7. Conduct periodic security assessments and penetration tests focusing on role-based access controls and input sanitization in collaboration tools to identify similar vulnerabilities proactively.