CVE-2016-10744 in Select2
Summary
by MITRE
In Select2 through 4.0.5, as used in Snipe-IT and other products, rich selectlists allow XSS. This affects use cases with Ajax remote data loading when HTML templates are used to display listbox data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/08/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10744 represents a cross-site scripting vulnerability within the Select2 JavaScript library version 4.0.5 and earlier, which has been widely adopted in various web applications including the Snipe-IT asset management system. This flaw specifically manifests when the library is configured to handle remote data loading through Ajax requests combined with HTML templates for rendering listbox data. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms within the Select2 component's handling of dynamically loaded content, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of affected web applications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when Select2 processes remote data through Ajax calls and utilizes HTML templates to display the retrieved information in dropdown select lists. When user-provided data or data from external sources contains malicious script tags or other harmful content, the library fails to properly escape or sanitize this input before rendering it within the HTML structure. This improper handling creates a classic XSS attack vector where an attacker can craft malicious payloads that execute within the browser context of legitimate users interacting with the affected application. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it leverages the legitimate functionality of Select2's remote data loading feature, making the attack more subtle and harder to detect than traditional XSS implementations.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-10744 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user credentials, manipulate application data, or redirect users to malicious websites. In the context of Snipe-IT and similar asset management systems, this vulnerability could allow unauthorized individuals to access confidential inventory data, modify asset records, or compromise the entire system through user session manipulation. The attack requires minimal privileges and can be executed through simple input manipulation, making it particularly dangerous for applications that handle sensitive organizational data. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script injection attacks that leverage web application vulnerabilities.
Organizations using affected versions of Select2 should immediately implement mitigation strategies including upgrading to version 4.0.6 or later where this vulnerability has been patched, implementing proper input validation and output encoding for all Ajax-loaded data, and employing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution capabilities. Additionally, developers should sanitize all remote data before rendering it within Select2 components, disable HTML template rendering when not strictly necessary, and conduct thorough security testing of all web applications utilizing this library. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input sanitization in web applications and highlights how legitimate features can become security risks when not properly secured against malicious input manipulation.