Overview

XSS Injection via typing challenge input reflected back in "Word History"

Description

User input is interpreted by the browser unsanitized when entered into the typing challenge. Once the challenge is over and the user opens the "word history" tab, hovering over the mispelled words will cause the browser to interpret the payload as valid injected code. Under current limitations significant code execution cannot be caused due to character limit, however more research should be done to prove impact. This occurs in default settings.

Impact

The impact of the XSS is low/none. At current, only basic injection is possible due to character limitations. The injection is also only client side, and does not seem to be exploitable outside of the local context.

Reproduce.

For a XSS payload, just start typing this "><svg/onclick=alert1`>

1. Start a new typing challenge
2. Spell the first word correctly, then immediately after the first word and with no spaces after, terminate the string with ">
3. Enter payload
4. Once the timer is complete, select the option to view word history
5. Hover over the misspelled word, and the payload will execute

Expected behavior

The application should strip out special characters from this field, especially since the typing test does not require any.

Screenshots

Inject Payload

Payload Being Interpreted On Click

HTML Payload

This should effect all client's using the application, but below is my setup

• OS: [MacOs]
• Browser [Chrome]
• Version [90.0.4430.93 (Official Build) (x86_64]

Remediation

In the screenshot below you can see the user input shows up in the input field of the word error div. Special characters here should be escaped.

I'll dig into the source code and see where I can help on thisa