CVE-2024-52944 identifies a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Veritas Enterprise Vault, a widely used enterprise archiving solution, affecting versions before 15.1 UPD882911. The flaw arises from improper sanitization of user-supplied parameters in HTTP requests when viewing archived content. An authenticated remote attacker can craft malicious input that is reflected back to the user’s browser, enabling execution of arbitrary scripts within the security context of the affected application. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-79, indicating it is a classic reflected XSS issue. The attack vector requires low attack complexity but does require the attacker to have valid credentials (PR:L) and user interaction (UI:R) to trigger the malicious script. The scope is changed (S:C) because the vulnerability affects resources beyond the attacker’s privileges by impacting other authenticated users. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.4, reflecting limited confidentiality and integrity impacts but no availability impact. No public exploits or patches are currently available, though the vendor has reserved the CVE and presumably will release a fix. This vulnerability could be leveraged to steal session cookies, perform actions on behalf of users, or conduct phishing attacks within the enterprise environment.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-52944 is the potential compromise of user session confidentiality and integrity within Veritas Enterprise Vault environments. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability can execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of authenticated users, potentially leading to session hijacking, unauthorized actions, or data leakage. Since the vulnerability requires authentication, the attack surface is limited to users with valid credentials, reducing the risk of widespread exploitation. However, given the sensitive nature of archived enterprise data, even limited exploitation could have serious consequences including exposure of confidential information, compliance violations, and reputational damage. The reflected XSS could also be used as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks such as privilege escalation or lateral movement within the network. Organizations relying heavily on Enterprise Vault for compliance and data retention are particularly at risk, as attackers may target archived content to bypass traditional security controls.

To mitigate CVE-2024-52944, organizations should prioritize applying the vendor’s patch or update once it becomes available for Veritas Enterprise Vault 15.1 UPD882911 or later. Until a patch is released, implement strict input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied parameters to prevent injection of malicious scripts. Deploy Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers accessing the application. Limit user privileges to the minimum necessary to reduce the impact of compromised accounts. Monitor logs for unusual activity indicative of XSS exploitation attempts, such as suspicious HTTP parameters or repeated failed login attempts. Educate users about the risks of clicking on suspicious links even within authenticated sessions. Additionally, consider isolating the Enterprise Vault web interface behind a web application firewall (WAF) configured to detect and block XSS payloads. Regularly review and update security configurations and conduct penetration testing focused on web application vulnerabilities to proactively identify similar issues.