Overview
A critical security vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-0248, has been discovered in HCL iNotes. This vulnerability is a Reflected Cross-site Scripting (XSS) flaw stemming from improper validation of user-supplied input. Successful exploitation allows an unauthenticated, remote attacker to inject malicious scripts into a victim’s browser within the context of the iNotes web application. This could lead to the theft of sensitive information, including cookie-based authentication credentials, or the execution of arbitrary code on the victim’s machine.
This vulnerability was published on 2025-11-25T16:16:06.137.
Technical Details
The Reflected XSS vulnerability in HCL iNotes occurs because the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input within specific URL parameters or request bodies. An attacker can craft a malicious URL containing JavaScript code. When a user clicks on this crafted URL, the malicious script is reflected back to the user’s browser and executed. This occurs because the server echoes the unsanitized input back to the user without proper encoding. The attacker does not directly target the server; instead, they target the users of the application.
Specifically, the vulnerability lies in how iNotes handles certain request parameters. By injecting malicious JavaScript code into these parameters, the attacker can trigger the XSS vulnerability. This JavaScript code can then perform various actions, such as:
- Stealing the user’s session cookies, allowing the attacker to impersonate the user.
- Redirecting the user to a malicious website.
- Defacing the web page.
- Performing actions on behalf of the user without their knowledge.
CVSS Analysis
This vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS score of 8.1, indicating a High severity. The CVSS vector string is likely to be similar to: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N . This translates to:
- Attack Vector (AV): Network (N) – The attack can be performed remotely over the network.
- Attack Complexity (AC): Low (L) – The attack requires minimal effort.
- Privileges Required (PR): None (N) – No authentication is required to exploit the vulnerability.
- User Interaction (UI): Required (R) – The attacker requires a user to interact with the malicious link.
- Scope (S): Changed (C) – An exploited vulnerability can affect resources beyond the attacker’s control.
- Confidentiality (C): High (H) – There is a high impact on data confidentiality.
- Integrity (I): Low (L) – There is a limited impact on data integrity.
- Availability (A): None (N) – There is no impact on system availability.
Possible Impact
The exploitation of this Reflected XSS vulnerability can have severe consequences:
- Account Takeover: Attackers can steal user credentials and gain complete control of user accounts.
- Data Theft: Sensitive information displayed within iNotes can be accessed and stolen.
- Malware Distribution: Malicious scripts can be used to redirect users to websites that distribute malware.
- Defacement: The iNotes interface can be defaced, disrupting user operations.
- Phishing: Attackers can use the compromised website to launch phishing attacks against other users.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
HCL has released a patch to address this vulnerability. It is strongly recommended that all HCL iNotes users upgrade to the latest version as soon as possible. To mitigate the risk before patching, consider the following:
- Apply the official patch from HCL: The primary solution is to apply the security patch provided by HCL. Refer to the official advisory for detailed instructions.
- Web Application Firewall (WAF): Implement a WAF with rules that can detect and block XSS attacks. Configure the WAF to filter out potentially malicious input.
- User Awareness Training: Educate users about the dangers of clicking on suspicious links and opening untrusted attachments.
- Input Validation: Ensure that all user-supplied input is properly validated and sanitized on both the client-side and server-side. This includes URL parameters, form fields, and any other data that is accepted from the user.
- Output Encoding: Encode all output data before it is displayed in the web page. This will prevent malicious scripts from being executed.
