CVE-2012-6662 in jQuery
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the default content option in jquery.ui.tooltip.js in the Tooltip widget in jQuery UI before 1.10.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the title attribute, which is not properly handled in the autocomplete combo box demo.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2012-6662 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw within the jQuery UI Tooltip widget component. This issue affects versions of jQuery UI prior to 1.10.0 and specifically targets the default content option handling within the jquery.ui.tooltip.js file. The vulnerability manifests when the title attribute is improperly processed within the autocomplete combo box demo implementation, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code in the context of affected web applications.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in insufficient input validation and sanitization of the title attribute parameter within the Tooltip widget's default content handling mechanism. When users interact with the autocomplete functionality that incorporates the tooltip widget, the system fails to properly escape or filter special characters in the title attribute value. This allows attackers to inject malicious payloads that get executed when the tooltip is displayed, particularly in scenarios where the tooltip content is rendered directly from user-provided input without proper sanitization measures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious websites. The vulnerability affects web applications that utilize the jQuery UI library's autocomplete functionality combined with tooltip widgets, which represents a significant portion of web applications using this popular JavaScript library. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious input that, when processed through the tooltip widget, executes unintended code in the victim's browser context.
This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-79, which identifies cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1566 for spearphishing with a malicious attachment and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that jQuery UI is widely used across numerous web platforms, making this vulnerability potentially exploitable across a broad range of applications. The remediation strategy involves upgrading to jQuery UI version 1.10.0 or later where proper input sanitization has been implemented in the tooltip widget's handling of the title attribute.
Security practitioners should implement additional mitigations such as content security policy headers, input validation at multiple layers, and regular security assessments of JavaScript libraries used in web applications. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input sanitization in client-side JavaScript components, particularly those that handle dynamic content rendering. Organizations using affected versions should prioritize immediate patching and conduct thorough code reviews of any custom implementations that might interact with the tooltip widget functionality to ensure no additional attack vectors exist.