CVE-2024-34462 is a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in Alinto SOGo, an open-source groupware server used for email, calendar, and collaboration services. The vulnerability exists in versions up to 5.10.0 and manifests during the preview of email attachments. Specifically, when a user previews an attachment, the application fails to properly sanitize or encode certain inputs, allowing an attacker to inject malicious JavaScript code. This injected script executes in the context of the victim's browser, potentially leading to theft of session cookies, user impersonation, or unauthorized actions within the web application. The vulnerability requires user interaction (the victim must preview the malicious attachment) but does not require the attacker to have any prior authentication or privileges. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 6.1, reflecting a network attack vector with low attack complexity, no privileges required, but user interaction needed. The scope is changed (S:C), indicating that the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component, such as user sessions or data confidentiality. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, and no official patches have been released at the time of disclosure. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79, which covers improper neutralization of input leading to XSS. This vulnerability highlights the risks associated with insufficient input validation in web-based groupware platforms, which are often critical communication tools in organizations.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-34462 is on confidentiality and integrity within organizations using Alinto SOGo. Successful exploitation can lead to execution of arbitrary scripts in users' browsers, enabling attackers to steal session tokens, impersonate users, or perform unauthorized actions within the webmail interface. This can result in unauthorized access to sensitive emails, calendars, and contacts, potentially leading to data breaches or further lateral attacks. Although availability is not directly affected, the compromise of user accounts can disrupt normal business operations. The requirement for user interaction (previewing a malicious attachment) limits the ease of exploitation but does not eliminate risk, especially in environments where phishing attacks are common. Organizations relying on Alinto SOGo for collaboration are at risk of targeted attacks, particularly if users are not trained to recognize suspicious attachments. The lack of a patch increases exposure time, and absence of known exploits suggests the vulnerability is newly disclosed but could be weaponized in the future. Overall, the impact is significant for confidentiality and integrity but limited in scope due to user interaction requirements.

To mitigate CVE-2024-34462, organizations should first disable or restrict the attachment preview feature in Alinto SOGo until an official patch is released. This prevents the execution of malicious scripts during preview. Administrators should monitor official Alinto and SOGo project channels for security updates and apply patches immediately once available. Implementing a web application firewall (WAF) with rules to detect and block common XSS payloads can provide an additional layer of defense. User training is critical: educate users to avoid opening or previewing attachments from untrusted or unexpected sources. Employ email filtering solutions to detect and quarantine suspicious attachments before they reach end users. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration tests focusing on webmail interfaces to identify similar vulnerabilities. Finally, consider deploying Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts within the web application context, reducing the impact of potential XSS attacks.