CVE-2024-51434

Root

Cause

CVE-2024-51434 is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Froala WYSIWYG HTML Editor, versions 4.3.0 and earlier. The root cause lies in the editor's HTML sanitization routine (clean.html()), which improperly handles the ` tag [2]. According to the HTML specification, implicitly closes any open tags and causes all subsequent content to be treated as plain text. However, Froala's parser does not account for this behavior, allowing malicious HTML elements with event handlers to be injected after a ` tag and still be rendered as active HTML [2].

Exploitation

An attacker can leverage the editor's "Code View" feature to inject a crafted payload. Although the editor sanitizes common XSS vectors like ` and , the inconsistent parsing of bypasses these filters [2]. For successful exploitation, the attacker must lure a victim user into viewing or rendering the malicious content (user interaction is required, reflected in the CVSS vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N` [2]). The attack does not require authentication, but the victim must interact with the crafted editor content.

Impact

Successful exploitation allows an attacker to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of the victim's browser session when the malicious editor content is rendered. This can lead to data theft, session hijacking, or defacement within the scope of the affected web application [2]. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.1 (Medium), reflecting its relatively low complexity but the need for user interaction.

Mitigation

As of the publication date, a patched version has not been formally announced [1]. Users of Froala WYSIWYG Editor versions 4.3.0 and earlier should apply any available vendor updates or implement content security policies (CSP) to mitigate the risk of XSS. The vulnerability was discovered during a penetration test and reported responsibly [2]; no workaround details are provided in the public advisory.