ZeroHour

CVE-2026-54694

niche

Stored XSS in SkillTree Micro-Learning Platform Targets Admins

CVSS 3.1
9.6 critical
EPSS
<1%p21
Published
()
Modified
AI analysis

SkillTree prior to version 4.4.2 combines two independent code flaws into an exploitable stored cross-site scripting chain: the account registration endpoint stores firstName, lastName, and nickname without HTML sanitization, while StringHighlighter.js interpolates raw values into an HTML string that HighlightedValue.vue renders via Vue's v-html (innerHTML) directive. An attacker can self-register with a JavaScript payload that fits the 30-character field limit (e.g., a 28-character img onerror payload), and the code executes automatically in an administrator's browser when the admin opens the Quiz Runs page during normal use. Using a split-field trick, the attacker can load an arbitrary remote script via import() that performs any admin action (deleting projects, creating backdoor accounts, dumping user data), and a third variant can pre-set window.name via a redirect link to steal the readable XSRF token and call admin APIs from the victim's browser despite the HttpOnly session cookie. Any SkillTree deployment that permits self-registration is affected, since no privileges beyond a normal account are required. No public proof-of-concept or confirmed in-the-wild exploitation is known, and version 4.4.2 contains the patch.

What to do: Upgrade SkillTree to version 4.4.2 or later. Until patched, restrict or disable self-registration (or require admin approval for new accounts) and audit recently created accounts for suspicious firstName/lastName/nickname values, since the payload fires when an admin simply opens the Quiz Runs page. Also treat unexpected links sent to administrators with caution, because the third attack path abuses a redirect link to pre-set window.name and exfiltrate the XSRF token.

Affected
SkillTree (micro-learning gamification platform)All versions prior to 4.4.2
Estimated exposure
nichelikely on the order of hundreds to a few thousand self-hosted organizational instances (estimate) — SkillTree is a self-hosted, per-organization open-source gamification platform with no public install or adoption metrics in the provided data, so exposure is limited to the comparatively small number of organizations running it — each…

Order-of-magnitude estimate by the model from install counts, market share and public scan data it knows; verify before quoting.

Description

SkillTree is a micro-learning gamification platform. Prior to version 4.4.2, two independent code flaws combine into a single exploitable attack chain, with three distinct exploitation paths of escalating impact. `StringHighlighter.js` builds an HTML string by interpolating raw `value` substrings directly into a template literal with no HTML entity encoding. `HighlightedValue.vue` renders that string — and all unfiltered plain values — via Vue's `v-html` directive, which sets `innerHTML`. Separately, the account registration endpoint accepts `firstName`, `lastName`, and `nickname` fields and stores them without any HTML sanitization. An attacker self-registers with `firstName = " "` (28 characters — within the 30-character field limit) and visits any quiz. The next time an administrator opens the Quiz Runs page the payload executes in their browser. Three attack paths exist with escalating impact. The first is basic cross-site scripting. Any self-contained payload fitting the 30-character limit (e.g. ` `, which is 28 chars) fires automatically when the admin navigates to the runs page through normal use. Arbitrary code execution in the admin's browser is confirmed with zero extra steps. The second is remote script loading via `import()`. Using the split-field technique (`lastName = " "`), the attacker loads a full JavaScript file from their server. The file has no size limit and can perform any admin action — delete all projects, create backdoor accounts, dump user data, install a keylogger. No phishing required. The only constraint is that the URL must fit in 11 characters (`//nsas.cc/p`). The third is full cross-site request forgery token theft. Using `eval(name)`, the attacker pre-sets `window.name` to a data-theft payload by sending the admin one redirect link first. The session cookie is `HttpOnly` and cannot be read via `document.cookie`; however, the XSRF token is readable and the attacker leverages same-origin execution to call admin APIs from inside the victim's browser, relaying the responses to an external server. No admin interaction beyond routine use is required. Version 4.4.2 contains a patch.

Weakness
CWE-20, CWE-79, CWE-116, CWE-183, CWE-693
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L

In the news

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