CVE-2026-24614 identifies a DOM-based Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Devsbrain Flex QR Code Generator, a tool used to generate QR codes for web applications. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of user input during the generation of web pages, allowing malicious scripts to be injected and executed in the victim's browser. This type of XSS occurs on the client side, where the application processes untrusted input and dynamically updates the DOM without proper sanitization or encoding. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious QR codes or URLs that, when processed by the vulnerable Flex QR Code Generator, execute arbitrary JavaScript code. This can lead to theft of sensitive information such as cookies, session tokens, or enable actions on behalf of the user without their consent. The affected versions include all releases up to and including 1.2.8, with no patch currently available at the time of publication. No authentication is required to exploit this vulnerability, but user interaction is necessary, typically by scanning a malicious QR code or visiting a crafted URL. Although no known exploits have been reported in the wild, the vulnerability poses a significant risk due to the widespread use of QR codes in various digital services. The lack of a CVSS score necessitates an assessment based on the vulnerability's characteristics, which indicate a high severity due to the potential impact on confidentiality and integrity, ease of exploitation, and broad scope of affected systems.

For European organizations, this vulnerability could lead to significant security breaches, particularly in sectors that rely on QR codes for customer engagement, payments, or authentication processes. Successful exploitation could result in unauthorized access to user sessions, data theft, or manipulation of web application behavior, undermining trust and potentially causing financial and reputational damage. Organizations in finance, retail, healthcare, and government services that integrate the Flex QR Code Generator into their web platforms are especially at risk. The vulnerability could also facilitate phishing campaigns or malware distribution by injecting malicious scripts. Given the increasing adoption of QR codes in contactless interactions and digital identity verification across Europe, the potential impact is considerable. Additionally, regulatory frameworks like GDPR impose strict requirements on data protection, and exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to compliance violations and associated penalties.

Organizations should monitor Devsbrain's official channels for patches addressing this vulnerability and apply updates promptly once available. In the interim, implement strict input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data processed by the Flex QR Code Generator to prevent script injection. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts and reduce the impact of potential XSS attacks. Conduct thorough code reviews and security testing focusing on client-side input handling and DOM manipulation. Educate users about the risks of scanning QR codes from untrusted sources and implement logging and monitoring to detect suspicious activities related to QR code processing. Consider isolating QR code generation functionality in sandboxed environments or using alternative, more secure QR code generation libraries if immediate patching is not feasible. Finally, integrate web application firewalls (WAFs) with XSS detection capabilities to provide an additional layer of defense.