CVE-2024-24494 is a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the Daily Habit Tracker application version 1.0. This vulnerability arises due to improper sanitization or validation of user-supplied input in multiple parameters—specifically day, exercise, pray, read_book, vitamins, laundry, alcohol, and meat—within the add-tracker.php and update-tracker.php components. An attacker can exploit this flaw by injecting malicious scripts into these parameters, which are then executed in the context of the victim's browser when the affected pages are viewed. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79, indicating that it is a classic reflected or stored XSS issue. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.1, categorizing it as a medium severity vulnerability. The vector string (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N) indicates that the attack can be performed remotely over the network without privileges, requires low attack complexity, no privileges, but does require user interaction (e.g., victim clicking a crafted link). The scope is changed, meaning the vulnerability affects components beyond the initially vulnerable component, and the impact is limited to low confidentiality and integrity loss, with no impact on availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability could allow attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code, potentially leading to session hijacking, defacement, or redirection to malicious sites, depending on the victim's browser and environment. Since the affected product is a habit tracking web application, the user base is likely individuals or organizations using it for personal or group habit monitoring, which may include European users.

For European organizations, the primary impact of this vulnerability lies in the potential compromise of user data confidentiality and integrity within the Daily Habit Tracker application. If used within corporate or group environments, attackers could leverage the XSS flaw to hijack user sessions, steal authentication tokens, or perform actions on behalf of users, leading to unauthorized data access or manipulation. Although the vulnerability does not affect availability, the loss of confidentiality and integrity could undermine trust in the application and expose sensitive user habits or behavioral data. Furthermore, if the application is integrated with other internal systems or used as part of a broader digital wellness program, the XSS vulnerability could serve as an entry point for more extensive attacks. European organizations must consider the GDPR implications of any data breach resulting from exploitation, as unauthorized disclosure of personal data could lead to regulatory penalties. The requirement for user interaction means social engineering tactics could be employed, increasing the risk if users are not adequately trained or aware of phishing threats.

To mitigate this vulnerability effectively, organizations should implement strict input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data, especially for the affected parameters in add-tracker.php and update-tracker.php. Employing a robust Content Security Policy (CSP) can help reduce the impact of XSS by restricting the execution of unauthorized scripts. Web application firewalls (WAFs) configured to detect and block XSS payloads can provide an additional protective layer. Since no official patches are currently available, organizations should consider temporarily disabling or restricting access to the vulnerable components if feasible. User education on recognizing phishing attempts and suspicious links is critical to reduce the risk posed by the required user interaction. Regular security assessments and code reviews focusing on input handling should be conducted to prevent similar vulnerabilities. Monitoring application logs for unusual activity related to these parameters can help detect attempted exploitation. Finally, organizations should stay alert for any forthcoming patches or updates from the application vendor and apply them promptly once released.