External risk intelligence

vTiger CRM 7.4.0 Reflected Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability

CVE advisorySeverity: CRITICAL (CVSS 9.6)

CVE-2024-44778

vTiger CRM is a customer relationship management application. Such systems are commonly deployed as web applications intended to be accessible to users over the internet, including remote employees and external partners, making them a common target for web-based attacks.

Cross-site Scripting

Vtiger Crm

7.4.0

Halo Surface Signal: 4 out of 5 — likely to be public-facing.

External exposure likelihood

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

A critical security vulnerability has been identified in vTiger CRM, potentially allowing attackers to inject malicious code into a user's browser by exploiting a flaw in how the application handles specific web requests. This could lead to unauthorized actions being performed within the user's session.

Code injection via web requests.
Customer data systems are common targets.
Confirm if vTiger CRM is in use.

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by tricking a user into visiting a malicious link. This link directs the user to the vTiger CRM's index page with a specially crafted input in the 'parent' parameter, causing the application to execute arbitrary code within the user's browser.

Requires unauthenticated network access.
Triggered by user interaction with a crafted link.
Allows arbitrary code execution in the browser.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

A reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability in vTiger CRM could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code within a user's browser. This occurs when a user visits a crafted link that exploits the vulnerability on the index page. The impact is dependent on the user's browser context and permissions.

User browser context could be compromised.
Crafted links sent to users may exploit.
Arbitrary code execution in browser.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

The likely owners for this reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability are application owners and infrastructure teams responsible for the vTiger CRM deployment, as well as network and security teams monitoring for external threats. The first actionable step is to identify all instances of the affected vTiger CRM version, assess their external reachability and business criticality, and then confirm the accountable owner before planning remediation based on the identified risk.

Application and infrastructure teams own the issue.
Verify external reachability and business criticality.
Plan remediation based on assessed risk.

Supplementary metadata

CVSS vector

Validate whether this threat affects your internet-facing exposure.

Halo Threat Intelligence helps prioritize remediation with Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context. Start exposure validation with a free external attack surface trial.

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Frequently asked questions

What is vTiger CRM?

vTiger CRM is a customer relationship management application used by organizations to manage sales, support, and marketing interactions. It functions as a web-based platform that stores sensitive customer data and business processes, often requiring accessibility for remote employees or external partners to perform daily tasks.

What does Reflected XSS mean for CVE-2024-44778?

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-79, or Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation. In plain English, the application fails to properly clean data sent in a web request before displaying it back to the user. Because this is a 'reflected' issue, the malicious script is not permanently stored by the server but is instead bounced back from the application to the victim's browser, where it executes with the user's permissions.

How is this vTiger CRM vulnerability triggered?

An attacker triggers the bug by tricking a user into clicking a specially crafted URL containing a malicious payload in the 'parent' parameter of the index page. It does not trigger if the user simply navigates to the application homepage normally; it requires the interaction with the specific, manipulated link to force the browser to process the injected code.

Who should be concerned about CVE-2024-44778?

Any organization running vTiger CRM version 7.4.0 should prioritize this. Halo Surface Signal notes that because vTiger CRM is frequently deployed as a web application intended for remote or partner access, it is often exposed to the internet. If your instance is accessible externally, the risk is higher because the attack surface is broader and available to anyone on the public network.

What steps should I take if I use vTiger CRM?

Your first step is to perform an inventory of your environment to confirm if you are running the affected 7.4.0 version. Once identified, work with your infrastructure and application teams to assess the business criticality of those specific instances and their network reachability. Use this information to determine the appropriate urgency for applying security updates or implementing compensating controls to mitigate the risk.

Written by Nicholas Merritt

Nicholas Merritt is VP of Security Solutions at Halo Security. With more than 25 years across application security, vulnerability prioritization, and offensive security, he helps teams translate threat data into practical exposure validation and remediation focus. He authors Halo Threat Intelligence CVE advisories using Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context to prioritize internet-facing risk.