CVE-2022-29168 is a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting the wire-webapp component of Wire, a secure messaging application. The vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of input during web page generation, specifically insufficient escaping of '@mentions' when rendering messages in the web application. An attacker can craft a malicious message containing arbitrary HTML and JavaScript code that, when viewed by a victim user, executes within the context of the victim's browser session. This allows the attacker to hijack the victim's account by gaining full control over it, potentially accessing sensitive communications and performing actions on behalf of the user. Additionally, Wire desktop clients connected to a vulnerable wire-webapp version are also susceptible to this attack, broadening the attack surface. The vulnerability affects versions of wire-webapp prior to 2022-05-04-production.0 and wire-server prior to 2022-05-04 (chart/4.11.0). The issue has been fixed in these versions and is already deployed on all Wire managed services. However, on-premise deployments must manually update to the patched versions to mitigate the risk. No known workarounds exist, emphasizing the need for timely patching. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79 and CWE-80, indicating improper neutralization of script-related HTML tags leading to basic XSS attacks. There are no known exploits in the wild at the time of reporting, but the potential impact on confidentiality and integrity is significant given the ability to fully control user accounts via this vector.

For European organizations using Wire, especially those relying on on-premise deployments of wire-webapp, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the confidentiality and integrity of communications. Successful exploitation allows attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in the victim's browser, leading to account takeover, data theft, and potential lateral movement within the organization. Given Wire's positioning as a secure messaging platform, compromise could undermine trust and expose sensitive business or personal communications. The impact extends to desktop clients connected to vulnerable webapp instances, increasing the scope of affected endpoints. Organizations in sectors with high confidentiality requirements such as government, finance, legal, and healthcare are particularly at risk. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate threat but does not eliminate risk, as attackers may develop exploits targeting unpatched on-premise instances. The lack of workarounds means that organizations must rely on timely patching to prevent exploitation. Overall, the vulnerability could lead to significant operational disruption, reputational damage, and regulatory consequences under European data protection laws if exploited.

Immediately update all on-premise wire-webapp instances to version 2022-05-04-production.0-v0.29.7-0-a6f2ded or later, or wire-server to 2022-05-04 (chart/4.11.0) or later to apply the security fix. Verify that all Wire managed services used by the organization are running the patched versions to ensure protection. Implement strict input validation and output encoding policies for any custom integrations or plugins interacting with Wire to prevent injection of malicious content. Conduct user awareness training focused on recognizing suspicious messages and the risks of interacting with untrusted content, as social engineering may be used to deliver malicious payloads. Monitor network and application logs for unusual activity indicative of account compromise or script injection attempts, enabling early detection of exploitation attempts. Restrict administrative access to Wire on-premise servers and enforce multi-factor authentication to reduce the risk of attacker persistence post-exploitation. Regularly audit and update all components of the Wire deployment to ensure timely application of security patches and reduce exposure to known vulnerabilities.