CVE-2016-10613 in bionode-sra
Summary
by MITRE
bionode-sra is a Node.js wrapper for SRA Toolkit. bionode-sra downloads data resources over HTTP, which leaves it vulnerable to MITM attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/11/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10613 affects bionode-sra, a Node.js library designed to interface with the Sequence Read Archive toolkit for biological data retrieval. This tool serves researchers and bioinformaticians who need to access genetic sequence data from public repositories, making it a critical component in genomic research workflows. The vulnerability stems from the library's implementation of HTTP communication protocols for data transfer, which inherently lacks encryption and authentication mechanisms that would normally protect against man-in-the-middle attacks. This flaw creates a significant security risk in environments where network traffic may be intercepted or manipulated by malicious actors.
The technical implementation flaw resides in how bionode-sra handles network communications through HTTP rather than HTTPS protocols. When the library downloads genetic sequence data from remote repositories, it establishes unencrypted connections that can be easily monitored, modified, or intercepted by attackers positioned within the network path. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-319, which specifically addresses the exposure of sensitive information through improper use of network protocols. The absence of certificate validation and encryption means that attackers can potentially modify data in transit, inject malicious content, or even redirect requests to compromised servers without detection. This particular implementation fails to follow fundamental security principles for data transfer in networked applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data integrity concerns to potentially compromise entire research projects and scientific workflows. In genomic research environments where data accuracy is paramount, malicious actors could alter sequence data, introduce false readings, or redirect researchers to compromised datasets. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in academic and research institutions where multiple users may access the same resources, creating potential for widespread data corruption across collaborative projects. Additionally, the nature of biological research data often involves sensitive information that could be exploited if intercepted by unauthorized parties, making this vulnerability a significant concern for data protection and research integrity.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-10613 should focus on implementing secure communication protocols throughout the bionode-sra library and its associated applications. The most effective immediate solution involves upgrading the library to utilize HTTPS connections for all data transfers, ensuring proper certificate validation, and implementing secure transport mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate man-in-the-middle activity. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access and data manipulation, particularly T1566 for phishing and T1041 for data compression. System administrators should implement network segmentation and traffic analysis to detect potential exploitation attempts, while developers should adopt secure coding practices that enforce encrypted communications by default. Regular security audits of third-party libraries and dependencies should also be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in the broader research software ecosystem.