CVE-2021-25990 is a medium-severity vulnerability classified under CWE-79 (Cross-site Scripting, XSS) affecting the ifme software developed by ifmeorg. The vulnerability exists in versions from v7.22.0 up to v7.31.4, where the contacts field improperly handles user input, allowing self-stored XSS attacks. Specifically, the flaw permits attackers to inject malicious scripts that are stored within the application and later executed in the context of other users viewing the contacts field. The vulnerability is exacerbated by the fact that the XSS payloads can be fetched and executed via an iframe, which may bypass some conventional filtering or sanitization mechanisms. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.4, indicating a medium severity level. The vector string (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N) shows that the attack can be performed remotely over the network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges (authenticated user), and user interaction (clicking or viewing the malicious content) is necessary. The scope is changed, meaning the vulnerability affects resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. The impact affects confidentiality and integrity to a limited extent, with no impact on availability. No known exploits in the wild have been reported, and no official patches are linked in the provided data, suggesting either limited public disclosure or pending remediation. The vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of the victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, unauthorized actions, or data leakage within the affected application environment.

For European organizations using ifme versions between v7.22.0 and v7.31.4, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to confidentiality and integrity of user data. Attackers exploiting this XSS flaw could execute malicious scripts that steal session tokens, impersonate users, or manipulate contact information. This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive contact details or internal communications. Since the vulnerability requires authenticated access and user interaction, the risk is somewhat mitigated but still significant in environments where users frequently interact with contact data. The scope change indicates that the vulnerability could affect multiple components or users beyond the initially targeted contact field, potentially amplifying the impact. Given that ifme is often used in identity and contact management contexts, exploitation could undermine trust in organizational communications and identity verification processes. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially if attackers develop targeted campaigns. Organizations in sectors with high regulatory scrutiny around data privacy (e.g., finance, healthcare, government) may face compliance risks if this vulnerability is exploited to leak personal or sensitive data.

1. Upgrade ifme to a version beyond v7.31.4 once an official patch addressing CVE-2021-25990 is released by the vendor. Monitor vendor advisories closely for updates. 2. In the interim, implement strict input validation and output encoding on the contacts field to sanitize any user-supplied data, preventing script injection and iframe loading of malicious payloads. 3. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of inline scripts and loading of iframes from untrusted sources, reducing the risk of XSS exploitation. 4. Limit user privileges to the minimum necessary, reducing the number of users who can input or modify contact data. 5. Educate users to be cautious when interacting with contact fields and to report suspicious behavior. 6. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focusing on XSS vectors within the application. 7. Monitor application logs for unusual activity indicative of attempted XSS exploitation, such as unexpected iframe requests or script injections. 8. If possible, isolate the affected application environment or implement web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block XSS payloads targeting the contacts field.