CVE-2016-10603 in air-sdk
Summary
by MITRE
air-sdk is a NPM wrapper for the Adobe AIR SDK. air-sdk 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.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/11/2020
The CVE-2016-10603 vulnerability resides within the air-sdk npm package, which serves as a wrapper for the Adobe AIR SDK. This package facilitates the automated downloading of binary resources required for Adobe AIR application development and deployment. The core issue stems from the package's implementation of insecure HTTP protocols for resource retrieval, creating a fundamental security flaw that exposes users to significant operational risks. The vulnerability represents a classic man-in-the-middle attack vector where network traffic is not properly secured or validated.
The technical flaw manifests in the package's failure to implement secure communication channels for downloading binary components. When air-sdk attempts to fetch required resources from remote servers, it relies on unencrypted HTTP connections instead of secure HTTPS protocols. This design choice creates multiple attack surfaces where malicious actors positioned within the network traffic path can intercept and manipulate the downloaded binaries. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows for complete binary replacement attacks, where an attacker can substitute legitimate Adobe AIR SDK components with malicious alternatives without detection.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables potential remote code execution capabilities. When an attacker successfully substitutes a legitimate binary with a malicious one, the compromised component can execute arbitrary code on the target system during the Adobe AIR SDK installation or usage process. This represents a critical security risk for developers who rely on the air-sdk package for their application development workflows, as it can lead to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the entire development environment, potentially compromising multiple applications built using the compromised SDK.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-319 (CWE-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information) and demonstrates the importance of secure communication protocols in software supply chain components. The issue also maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell) and T1021.004 (Remote Services: SSH) when considering the potential attack vectors and execution methods. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to secure versions of the air-sdk package, enforcing network security controls such as HTTPS inspection, and conducting comprehensive security reviews of all npm dependencies. Additionally, developers should consider implementing binary integrity verification mechanisms and adopting secure software supply chain practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities in other development tools and packages.