CVE-2024-41356 identifies a Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in phpipam version 1.6, a popular open-source IP address management (IPAM) tool. The vulnerability is located in the PHP script app\admin\firewall-zones\zones-edit-network.php, which handles editing of firewall zones and associated network configurations. Due to improper input sanitization and output encoding, an attacker can inject malicious JavaScript code into the web interface. When a legitimate user with access to this interface views the affected page, the injected script executes in their browser context. This can lead to unauthorized actions such as session hijacking, defacement, or redirection to malicious sites, impacting the integrity of the user session and potentially enabling further attacks. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N) indicates that the attack can be performed remotely over the network without privileges but requires user interaction (clicking a crafted link or visiting a malicious page). The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability affects components beyond the initially vulnerable component. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, and no official patches have been released at the time of publication. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79, a common category for XSS issues. Given phpipam’s role in managing IP address spaces and firewall zones, exploitation could undermine network security configurations and user trust in the management interface.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-41356 is on the integrity of the phpipam management interface and the security of user sessions. Successful exploitation allows attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of authenticated users, potentially leading to session hijacking, unauthorized configuration changes, or phishing attacks targeting network administrators. While confidentiality and availability impacts are minimal, the integrity compromise can facilitate further attacks on network infrastructure managed through phpipam. Organizations relying on phpipam 1.6 for critical IP address management and firewall zone configuration may face increased risk of internal network compromise or lateral movement if attackers leverage this vulnerability. The requirement for user interaction limits automated exploitation but does not eliminate risk, especially in environments with many users or where social engineering is feasible. Lack of patches increases exposure time, and absence of known exploits suggests a window for proactive mitigation.

To mitigate CVE-2024-41356, organizations should implement strict input validation and output encoding in the affected phpipam script to neutralize malicious script injections. Until an official patch is released, administrators should restrict access to the firewall zones editing interface to trusted users only and consider disabling this functionality if feasible. Employing web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block XSS payloads targeting phpipam can provide additional protection. Educate users about the risks of clicking untrusted links or opening suspicious content while authenticated to phpipam. Regularly monitor phpipam logs and network traffic for anomalous activity indicative of exploitation attempts. Stay updated with phpipam vendor advisories and apply patches promptly once available. Additionally, consider deploying Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to limit script execution sources and reduce XSS impact.