CVE-2016-10589 in selenium-binaries
Summary
by MITRE
selenium-binaries downloads Selenium related binaries for your OS. selenium-binaries downloads binary resources over HTTP, which leaves it vulnerable to MITM attacks. It may be possible to cause remote code execution (RCE) by swapping out the requested binary with an attacker controlled binary if the attacker is on the network or positioned in between the user and the remote server.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/09/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10589 resides within the selenium-binaries package, a tool designed to facilitate the automated download of Selenium-related binaries for various operating systems. This package serves as a dependency management utility in software development environments where Selenium WebDriver components are required for automated testing of web applications. The core security flaw emerges from the package's reliance on unencrypted HTTP protocols for binary downloads rather than secure HTTPS connections, creating a fundamental weakness in the software supply chain that directly impacts the integrity and authenticity of downloaded components.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the package's failure to enforce secure communication channels during the binary acquisition process. When selenium-binaries initiates a download request, it establishes connections using HTTP instead of HTTPS, leaving the communication channel susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks. This design decision creates an attack surface where malicious actors positioned within the network traffic path can intercept the download requests and replace legitimate binaries with compromised versions. The vulnerability specifically aligns with CWE-319, which addresses the exposure of sensitive information through improper use of network protocols, and represents a classic example of insecure communication in software distribution mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it opens the door to potential remote code execution within affected systems. An attacker who successfully manipulates the download process can substitute a legitimate Selenium binary with a maliciously crafted version that contains backdoors, trojans, or other malicious code. When the compromised binary is subsequently executed as part of automated testing workflows, it provides the attacker with a foothold in the development environment, potentially enabling further lateral movement, privilege escalation, or data exfiltration. This threat model particularly affects continuous integration environments and automated testing pipelines where selenium-binaries is commonly deployed, as these systems often operate with elevated privileges and may contain sensitive development artifacts.
The security implications of CVE-2016-10589 align with several ATT&CK techniques including T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1555.003 for credentials from password storage modules, as compromised binaries could be used to establish persistent access or extract sensitive information from development environments. Organizations utilizing selenium-binaries in their automated testing infrastructure face significant risk, particularly in shared network environments or when developers work across multiple network segments. The vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly benign dependency management tools can create critical security weaknesses in the software supply chain, emphasizing the importance of secure software distribution practices and the implementation of integrity verification mechanisms. Mitigation strategies should focus on updating to versions that implement HTTPS-based downloads, implementing network-level protections such as firewall rules to restrict access to known binary repositories, and establishing software supply chain security practices including digital signature verification and integrity checks for all downloaded components.