Description

A serious cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Krpano framework, widely used for embedding 360° images and virtual tours, has been actively exploited by hackers to inject malicious scripts into over 350 websites. Security researcher Oleg Zaytsev uncovered the attack campaign, named “360XSS”, after noticing a suspicious advertisement on Google Search linked to a Yale University subdomain. Cybercriminals exploited the "xml" parameter in Krpano-powered websites to redirect users to fraudulent sites, injecting spam advertisements, conducting online scams, and even manipulating YouTube view counts. The attack impacted high-profile domains, including government agencies, universities, and Fortune 500 corporations, amplifying its overall effect. The vulnerability stemmed from Krpano's "passQueryParameters" setting, which, when enabled, allowed HTTP parameters in URLs to be directly passed to the Krpano viewer. Attackers leveraged this flaw by injecting malicious XML payloads, enabling the execution of harmful scripts. While Krpano version 1.20.10 attempted to mitigate this risk by restricting parameters to a predefined allowlist, websites that manually enabled XML processing remained susceptible. The exploit also enabled search engine poisoning, allowing hackers to manipulate search rankings with deceptive content. Ironically, Krpano’s own website was also found to be vulnerable to the attack. To address the issue, Krpano developers released version 1.22.4, which removes support for external XML configurations, effectively closing the loophole. Website administrators using Krpano are urged to upgrade to the latest version and disable the “passQueryParameters” setting to prevent future exploits. Additionally, site owners should use Google Search Console to detect and eliminate compromised pages. Implementing regular security audits and enforcing strict parameter validation is essential to safeguard against future XSS attacks.