CVE-2013-4106 in Cryptocat
Summary
by MITRE
A Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in Conversation Overview Nickname in Cryptocat before 2.0.22.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/14/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-4106 represents a cross-site scripting weakness within the Cryptocat messaging application affecting versions prior to 2.0.22. This flaw specifically targets the Conversation Overview Nickname functionality, which serves as a critical user interface element for identifying and managing chat sessions. The issue arises from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's handling of user-provided nicknames displayed in the conversation overview panel. When users interact with the messaging interface and view conversation lists, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape special characters contained within nickname values, creating an avenue for malicious script execution.
This vulnerability operates under the CWE-79 classification as a classic cross-site scripting flaw, where the application improperly incorporates user-controllable data into dynamically generated web pages without adequate sanitization or encoding measures. The attack vector specifically exploits the Conversation Overview feature where nicknames are rendered in the user interface, allowing an attacker to inject malicious javascript code through crafted nickname inputs. The flaw demonstrates characteristics of stored XSS vulnerabilities since the malicious content persists in the application's interface and affects other users who view the compromised conversation list. The vulnerability represents a significant security risk within the context of encrypted communication platforms where users expect both confidentiality and integrity of their messaging environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it compromises the integrity of the user interface and potentially enables more sophisticated attacks. An attacker could craft malicious nicknames containing javascript payloads that execute when other users view the conversation overview, potentially stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or performing actions on behalf of the victim within the application context. This weakness undermines the security model of Cryptocat by exploiting the trust relationship between users and the application interface, potentially leading to account compromise or unauthorized access to communication sessions. The vulnerability affects the application's core functionality by introducing a persistent security flaw in the user management and display mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching to version 2.0.22 or later where the developers implemented proper input sanitization and output encoding measures. The fix should incorporate comprehensive validation of nickname inputs to prevent the injection of special characters that could be interpreted as executable code. Security measures must include implementing proper HTML escaping and sanitization routines for all user-controllable data displayed in the interface, particularly within dynamic content areas such as conversation overviews. Organizations using Cryptocat should conduct thorough security assessments of their messaging environments and consider implementing additional monitoring for suspicious nickname patterns. The remediation process should also involve user education regarding the dangers of using untrusted nicknames and the importance of verifying the integrity of conversation metadata. This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of input validation in web applications and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1211 which covers privilege escalation through web application vulnerabilities, emphasizing the need for robust application security controls in communication platforms.