CVE-2016-4048 in OX AppSuite
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Open-Xchange OX App Suite before 7.8.1-rev11. Custom messages can be shown at the login screen to notify external users about issues with sharing links. This mechanism can be abused to inject arbitrary text messages. Users may get tricked to follow instructions injected by third parties as part of social engineering attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/08/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-4048 resides within the Open-Xchange OX App Suite platform, specifically affecting versions prior to 7.8.1-rev11. This security flaw manifests in the login screen notification mechanism that was designed to communicate sharing link issues to external users. The system's intended functionality allows administrators to display custom messages at the login screen to inform users about problems with shared resources, providing a legitimate administrative control point for user communication.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the message injection mechanism. Attackers can exploit this weakness to inject arbitrary text messages into the login screen notification system, bypassing normal security controls that should prevent unauthorized content injection. This vulnerability represents a classic case of insecure input handling where user-supplied data is not properly validated or sanitized before being rendered to end users. The flaw essentially creates an uncontrolled input vector that allows malicious actors to manipulate the login experience and potentially influence user behavior through crafted notifications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple message injection, creating significant social engineering opportunities for attackers. When users encounter maliciously crafted notifications at the login screen, they may be deceived into following instructions that lead to further security compromises. This could include phishing attempts, credential harvesting, or redirection to malicious websites. The vulnerability leverages the trust users place in legitimate system notifications, making it particularly dangerous as victims are more likely to interact with content they perceive as coming from a trusted source. The attack surface is broadened by the fact that this affects external users who may not be familiar with the system's normal behavior patterns.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a form of client-side code injection that can be exploited through user interface manipulation. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this under initial access techniques, specifically leveraging social engineering through user interface manipulation to gain unauthorized access or information. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the patched version 7.8.1-rev11, implementing strict input validation for all notification mechanisms, and establishing monitoring for unauthorized message injection attempts. Additionally, administrative controls should be reviewed to ensure only authorized personnel can modify login screen content, and regular security assessments should verify that notification systems are properly secured against injection attacks.