CVE-2023-31223 is a high-severity persistent Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting Dradis versions prior to 4.8.0. Dradis is a collaboration and reporting tool commonly used in cybersecurity and penetration testing environments to manage and share information. The vulnerability arises from insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input related to avatar handling, allowing authenticated users with author-level privileges to inject malicious scripts that persist across sessions and are executed in the browsers of other users viewing the affected content. This persistent XSS flaw is classified under CWE-79, indicating improper neutralization of input during web page generation. The CVSS 3.1 score of 8.7 reflects a high impact on confidentiality and integrity, with a scope change, requiring low privileges (authenticated author user) and user interaction (victim must view the malicious content). Exploitation could lead to session hijacking, credential theft, unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or deployment of further malware within the Dradis environment. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability’s nature and ease of exploitation by authenticated users make it a significant risk, especially in environments where Dradis is used for sensitive security data collaboration.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability could be substantial, particularly for those in cybersecurity, consulting, or any sector relying on Dradis for managing sensitive penetration testing data and security assessments. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized disclosure of confidential information, manipulation of reports, or compromise of user accounts, undermining trust and potentially violating data protection regulations such as GDPR. Persistent XSS can also serve as a foothold for further attacks within the network, increasing the risk of lateral movement and data breaches. Organizations with multiple users having author privileges are at higher risk, as the attack vector requires authenticated access. The potential for scope change means that the vulnerability could affect components beyond the initially compromised user session, amplifying the damage.

To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should upgrade Dradis to version 4.8.0 or later, where the issue has been addressed. In the absence of an immediate upgrade, administrators should restrict author-level privileges to trusted users only and monitor user activities closely. Implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can help reduce the impact of XSS by restricting the execution of unauthorized scripts. Additionally, web application firewalls (WAFs) configured to detect and block XSS payloads can provide a temporary protective layer. Regular security audits and user training on safe usage practices are recommended to minimize the risk of exploitation. Finally, organizations should review and sanitize all user-generated content related to avatars and other input fields to prevent injection of malicious code.