CVE-2014-1869 in ZeroClipboard
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in ZeroClipboard.swf in ZeroClipboard before 1.3.2, as maintained by Jon Rohan and James M. Greene, allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via vectors related to certain SWF query parameters (aka loaderInfo.parameters).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/01/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-1869 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the ZeroClipboard Flash component that was widely used for clipboard operations in web applications. This vulnerability affected versions of ZeroClipboard prior to 1.3.2 and was maintained by Jon Rohan and James M. Greene, making it particularly concerning given the component's widespread adoption across numerous web platforms and applications. The flaw specifically targeted the Flash-based swf file that served as the core component for clipboard functionality, creating a persistent security risk for any application that integrated this library.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurred through manipulation of SWF query parameters, specifically leveraging the loaderInfo.parameters functionality within Flash. Attackers could inject malicious scripts or HTML content through these parameters, which were then executed in the context of the victim's browser session. The vulnerability stemmed from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the Flash component's parameter handling mechanism, allowing arbitrary code execution in the victim's browser environment. This represents a classic XSS vulnerability pattern where untrusted data flows directly into the application's output without proper sanitization or encoding.
The operational impact of this vulnerability was significant as it enabled remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts and HTML content within the context of any web page that utilized the vulnerable ZeroClipboard component. This could lead to session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and other malicious activities that compromised user sessions and application integrity. The vulnerability was particularly dangerous because Flash-based components often ran with elevated privileges and could interact with the user's clipboard, potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks such as credential harvesting or malicious content injection. The widespread use of ZeroClipboard across various web applications meant that exploitation could affect numerous organizations simultaneously.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and demonstrates how Flash-based components can introduce security risks that extend beyond traditional web application boundaries. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for script injection techniques and T1566 for social engineering through malicious content delivery. Organizations should have implemented immediate mitigation strategies including updating to ZeroClipboard version 1.3.2 or later, implementing proper input validation for all SWF parameters, and conducting security reviews of all Flash-based components in their web applications. Additionally, organizations should have considered migrating away from Flash-based technologies due to their inherent security limitations and the discontinuation of Flash support by major browser vendors.