BACK TO NEWS
Exploits

MobileDetect 2.8.31 Vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Attack

2 min readSource: Exploit Database

Security researchers disclose a stored XSS vulnerability in MobileDetect 2.8.31, enabling attackers to execute malicious scripts on affected web applications.

MobileDetect 2.8.31 Affected by Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Vulnerability

Security researchers have identified a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in MobileDetect 2.8.31, a popular PHP library used for detecting mobile devices. The flaw, disclosed via Exploit Database, allows attackers to inject and execute arbitrary malicious scripts in the context of a victim's browser session.

Technical Details

The vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization in MobileDetect's user-agent detection mechanism. Attackers can craft malicious HTTP requests containing XSS payloads, which are then stored and rendered in the application's output. When unsuspecting users access the affected page, the injected script executes, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further exploitation.

At present, no CVE ID has been assigned to this vulnerability. However, the exploit has been publicly documented, increasing the risk of active exploitation in unpatched deployments.

Impact Analysis

Stored XSS vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous due to their persistent nature. Unlike reflected XSS, which requires tricking a user into clicking a malicious link, stored XSS payloads remain embedded in the application, affecting all users who access the compromised resource. Web applications relying on MobileDetect 2.8.31 for device detection are at risk, particularly those that:

  • Store or display user-agent strings without proper sanitization.
  • Integrate MobileDetect in authentication or session-handling workflows.

Recommendations

Security teams and developers should take immediate action to mitigate this vulnerability:

  1. Upgrade MobileDetect: Verify if a patched version of MobileDetect is available and apply updates promptly.
  2. Input Sanitization: Implement strict input validation and output encoding for user-agent strings and other user-controlled inputs.
  3. Content Security Policy (CSP): Deploy a robust CSP to restrict the execution of inline scripts and mitigate XSS impact.
  4. Monitor for Exploitation: Review web application logs for suspicious user-agent strings or unexpected script execution.

Organizations using MobileDetect 2.8.31 are urged to assess their exposure and apply remediation measures to prevent potential attacks.

Share

TwitterLinkedIn