CVE-2024-54779 is a Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in Netgate's pfSense Community Edition (CE) and corresponding Plus builds prior to the 2.8.0 beta release. The vulnerability exists specifically in the widgets/log.widget.php component of the pfSense software. XSS vulnerabilities occur when an application includes untrusted data in a web page without proper validation or escaping, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of the victim's browser. In this case, the vulnerability requires that the attacker have at least low privileges (PR:L) and that user interaction is necessary (UI:R) for exploitation, such as tricking an authenticated user into clicking a crafted link or visiting a malicious page. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.4, indicating a medium severity level. The vector details indicate that the attack can be performed remotely over the network (AV:N) with low attack complexity (AC:L), but requires privileges and user interaction. The impact affects confidentiality and integrity (C:L/I:L) but not availability. The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability affects resources beyond the security scope of the vulnerable component. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the presence of this vulnerability in a widely used firewall and routing platform like pfSense poses a risk of session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions within the administrative interface if exploited. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-79, which is the standard classification for XSS issues. No official patches or mitigation links are provided yet, but upgrading to pfSense 2.8.0 beta or later versions is implied as a remediation path.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for those relying on pfSense CE or Plus builds for network perimeter security, firewalling, and routing. Exploitation of this XSS flaw could allow attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of an authenticated administrator's browser session, potentially leading to theft of session cookies, credential compromise, or unauthorized configuration changes. This could undermine the integrity and confidentiality of network security controls, exposing sensitive internal resources and data. Given that pfSense is popular among small to medium enterprises, educational institutions, and some government entities in Europe for cost-effective network security, the vulnerability could be leveraged in targeted attacks or lateral movement scenarios. The requirement for user interaction and privileges somewhat limits the risk to attackers who have already gained some foothold or social engineering capability, but it remains a critical concern for maintaining secure administrative access. The scope change indicates that the impact could extend beyond the immediate vulnerable component, potentially affecting other parts of the network infrastructure managed via pfSense.

European organizations should prioritize upgrading pfSense CE and Plus builds to version 2.8.0 beta or later where this vulnerability is addressed. Until an official patch is available, administrators should restrict access to the pfSense web interface to trusted networks and users only, employing network segmentation and VPN access controls to minimize exposure. Implementing strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers on the pfSense interface, if configurable, can help mitigate XSS exploitation. Additionally, organizations should enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) for pfSense administrative access to reduce the risk of credential compromise. Regular monitoring of pfSense logs for suspicious activity and anomalous user behavior can aid in early detection of exploitation attempts. Security teams should also educate users with administrative privileges about the risks of phishing and social engineering that could trigger the required user interaction for exploitation. Finally, maintaining up-to-date backups of pfSense configurations will facilitate recovery in case of unauthorized changes.