CVE-2022-24873 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Shopware, an open-source e-commerce platform widely used for online storefronts. The vulnerability is classified as CWE-79, which corresponds to improper neutralization of input during web page generation, commonly known as Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). Specifically, this is a non-stored (reflected) XSS vulnerability present in Shopware versions prior to 5.7.9. The flaw allows an attacker to inject malicious scripts into web pages generated by the Shopware storefront. When a victim visits a crafted URL or interacts with manipulated input fields, the malicious script executes in the victim’s browser context. This can lead to session hijacking, theft of cookies or credentials, defacement, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability does not require stored payloads, which means exploitation can be done via crafted links or inputs without persistent storage on the server. The issue was addressed and fixed in Shopware version 5.7.9. Users who cannot immediately upgrade may mitigate the risk by deploying the Shopware security plugin, which provides additional protection against such injection attacks. There are no known exploits in the wild reported as of the publication date, but the presence of this vulnerability in a popular e-commerce platform makes it a potential target for attackers seeking to compromise online stores and their customers. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed on April 28, 2022, and has been enriched by CISA for awareness and mitigation guidance.

For European organizations operating e-commerce platforms using vulnerable Shopware versions, this XSS vulnerability poses risks primarily to the confidentiality and integrity of user sessions and data. Attackers could exploit the flaw to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive customer information such as login credentials and payment details, or manipulate the storefront content to defraud customers or damage brand reputation. This can lead to financial losses, regulatory penalties under GDPR due to data breaches, and erosion of customer trust. The reflected nature of the XSS means attackers can craft phishing links that appear legitimate, increasing the likelihood of successful social engineering attacks. Additionally, compromised storefronts could be used as vectors for delivering malware to end users. While the vulnerability does not directly impact availability, the indirect consequences of exploitation, such as site defacement or blacklisting by search engines, can disrupt business operations. Given the widespread adoption of Shopware in European mid-market and enterprise e-commerce sectors, the potential impact is significant, especially for retailers with high customer volumes or sensitive transaction data.

1. Immediate upgrade to Shopware version 5.7.9 or later is the most effective mitigation to fully remediate the vulnerability. 2. For organizations unable to upgrade promptly, deploy the official Shopware security plugin, which provides additional input sanitization and protection against XSS attacks. 3. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules specifically tuned to detect and block reflected XSS payloads targeting Shopware storefront URLs. 4. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focusing on input validation and output encoding in the storefront to identify any residual injection points. 5. Educate staff and customers about phishing risks associated with malicious links that could exploit this vulnerability. 6. Monitor web traffic and logs for unusual patterns or repeated attempts to inject scripts via URL parameters or form inputs. 7. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers accessing the storefront. 8. Ensure all third-party plugins or customizations to Shopware also adhere to secure coding practices to prevent introducing similar vulnerabilities.