CVE-2024-39162 is a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in pyspider, an open-source web crawler framework, affecting versions through 0.3.10. The vulnerability arises from improper sanitization of input passed to the /update endpoint, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts. When a user interacts with the vulnerable endpoint, the injected script executes in their browser context, potentially leading to theft of sensitive information such as cookies, session tokens, or other browser-stored data, and manipulation of the web interface. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation), a common web security flaw. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.1, indicating a medium severity level, with the vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N, meaning the attack can be launched remotely over the network without privileges but requires user interaction, affects confidentiality and integrity partially, and has no impact on availability. Notably, pyspider versions affected are no longer supported by the maintainer, so no official patches or updates are available. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, but the vulnerability remains a risk for organizations still running these outdated versions. The scope is considered changed (S:C) because the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component, such as user sessions or data confidentiality. Given the nature of pyspider as a web crawling tool, exploitation could lead to unauthorized data access or manipulation within the context of the affected web application.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-39162 is on the confidentiality and integrity of data processed or displayed by pyspider instances running vulnerable versions. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, theft of sensitive information, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of the user. Although availability is not impacted, the compromise of user data or credentials can have downstream effects on organizational security. Since pyspider is typically used for web crawling and data collection, an attacker might leverage this vulnerability to manipulate crawling results or inject malicious content into data pipelines. The lack of official support and patches increases risk for organizations continuing to use these versions, as they must rely on alternative mitigation strategies. The vulnerability could be exploited in targeted attacks against organizations relying on pyspider for critical data gathering, especially if the /update endpoint is exposed to untrusted networks. The medium severity rating suggests moderate risk, but the potential for chained attacks or data leakage elevates concern for sensitive environments.

Given that the affected pyspider versions are no longer supported and no official patches exist, organizations should prioritize upgrading to a supported or patched version if available or migrating to alternative tools. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, implement strict network controls to restrict access to the /update endpoint, limiting it to trusted internal users only. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block XSS payloads targeting the /update endpoint. Conduct thorough input validation and output encoding on any user-supplied data processed by pyspider, potentially by modifying the source code to sanitize inputs properly. Monitor logs for suspicious requests to the /update endpoint and unusual user activity indicative of exploitation attempts. Educate users about the risks of interacting with untrusted links or inputs related to pyspider interfaces. Consider isolating pyspider instances within segmented network zones to reduce exposure. Finally, implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit the impact of potential XSS attacks by restricting script execution sources.