CVE-2016-10667 in selenium-portal
Summary
by MITRE
selenium-portal is a Selenium Testing Framework selenium-portal 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 resources with an attacker controlled copy 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 • 02/14/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10667 affects the selenium-portal component of the Selenium Testing Framework, presenting a critical security risk through its insecure download mechanism. This flaw resides in the framework's handling of binary resource acquisition where the system defaults to using unencrypted HTTP protocols for retrieving necessary components. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper transport layer security measures during the download process, creating an exploitable attack surface that allows malicious actors to intercept and manipulate network traffic between the client and remote servers. The implementation of HTTP instead of HTTPS creates a fundamental weakness that violates established security practices for software distribution and component retrieval.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability operates through man-in-the-middle attack vectors where an attacker positioned within the network traffic path can intercept requests made by selenium-portal to download binary resources. When the framework attempts to fetch components over HTTP, the attacker can substitute the legitimate resources with malicious copies that contain malicious code or backdoors. This substitution process leverages the inherent insecurity of HTTP communications, where data is transmitted in plaintext without integrity verification or authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability specifically enables remote code execution capabilities because the downloaded components are executed within the context of the selenium-portal application, allowing attackers to gain arbitrary code execution privileges on the target system. This represents a classic case of insecure component loading where the trust boundary is violated during the software acquisition phase.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-10667 extends beyond simple data interception, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity and security posture of systems utilizing the affected selenium-portal framework. Organizations deploying this testing framework become vulnerable to complete system compromise when attackers successfully execute code through the modified binary resources. The vulnerability affects the entire software supply chain by creating a trust relationship that can be easily subverted, potentially allowing attackers to establish persistent access, escalate privileges, or use the compromised system as a launch point for further attacks within the network. The risk is particularly severe in environments where the selenium-portal is used for automated testing or continuous integration processes, as these systems often have elevated privileges and access to sensitive development resources.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address the core issue of insecure HTTP communications through immediate implementation of HTTPS protocols for all resource downloads. The selenium-portal framework should be updated to enforce encrypted connections and implement certificate validation to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. Security measures should include mandatory certificate pinning for trusted repositories, implementation of secure protocol enforcement mechanisms, and regular security audits of all external dependencies. Organizations should also consider network-level protections such as firewall rules that restrict outbound HTTP traffic and implement intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious download activities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-319 which specifically addresses the exposure of sensitive information through the use of unencrypted or weak encryption, and represents a clear violation of ATT&CK technique T1059 for executing malicious code through compromised software components. System administrators should prioritize patching affected installations and implementing comprehensive network security controls to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability.