CVE-2024-30113 is a medium-severity vulnerability classified under CWE-79, which pertains to improper neutralization of input during web page generation, commonly known as Cross-site Scripting (XSS). This vulnerability affects HCL Software's product HCL Leap, specifically versions prior to 9.3.6. The root cause is an insufficient sanitization policy within the HTML widget component of HCL Leap. This weakness allows an attacker to inject malicious client-side scripts into the deployed web application. When a user accesses the compromised application, the injected scripts execute in the context of the user's browser session, potentially leading to unauthorized actions such as session hijacking, credential theft, or manipulation of displayed content. The vulnerability does not require authentication or user interaction beyond visiting the affected page, increasing its exploitation potential. No known public exploits have been reported at this time, and no official patches have been linked yet. However, the presence of this vulnerability in a business application platform like HCL Leap, which is used for rapid application development and deployment, means that any applications built on vulnerable versions could inherit this risk. Attackers could leverage this to target users of these applications, potentially compromising sensitive data or disrupting business processes.

For European organizations, the impact of this XSS vulnerability can be significant, especially for those relying on HCL Leap for internal or customer-facing applications. Exploitation could lead to the compromise of user credentials, unauthorized access to sensitive information, and potential manipulation of business-critical workflows. This could result in data breaches, loss of customer trust, regulatory non-compliance (notably with GDPR), and financial losses. Since HCL Leap is a platform for building custom applications, the scope of impact depends on how widely it is used within an organization and the sensitivity of the data processed by those applications. Additionally, compromised client-side scripts could be used to deliver further malware or conduct phishing attacks within the organization’s user base. The medium severity rating reflects that while the vulnerability is exploitable without authentication, the impact is somewhat limited to the scope of the affected applications and the users interacting with them.

Organizations using HCL Leap should prioritize upgrading to version 9.3.6 or later once patches are available to address this vulnerability. In the interim, developers should review and enhance input sanitization and output encoding practices within their applications, especially those utilizing the HTML widget. Employing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can help mitigate the impact of XSS by restricting the execution of unauthorized scripts. Regular security testing, including automated scanning for XSS vulnerabilities and manual code reviews, should be integrated into the development lifecycle. Additionally, organizations should educate users about the risks of interacting with suspicious links or content within applications. Monitoring web application logs for unusual input patterns or script injections can provide early detection of exploitation attempts. Finally, isolating critical applications and limiting user privileges can reduce the potential damage from successful attacks.