CVE-2016-4783 in SHAREit
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Lenovo SHAREit before 3.5.98_ww on Android before 4.4 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors, aka "Universal XSS (UXSS)."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/12/2018
The CVE-2016-4783 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in Lenovo SHAREit application versions prior to 3.5.98_ww for Android devices running before version 4.4. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting and specifically manifests as a Universal XSS (UXSS) vulnerability, which is particularly concerning due to its broad impact scope. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's interface, potentially compromising user data and system integrity. The flaw exists in the application's input validation mechanisms, where user-supplied data is not properly sanitized before being rendered in the user interface, creating an avenue for malicious code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond typical XSS attacks as it affects a widely distributed application that facilitates file sharing between devices. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious payloads that, when processed by the vulnerable SHAREit application, execute arbitrary scripts in the context of the user's browser session. This could enable attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect them to malicious websites. The vulnerability's universal nature means that it affects multiple versions and configurations of the application, making it particularly dangerous as it would require minimal effort for attackers to develop exploitation techniques that could affect a large user base simultaneously.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves leveraging the application's handling of user input in various communication channels within the SHAREit ecosystem. Attackers can potentially inject malicious scripts through file names, device names, or other user-controllable fields that are displayed within the application interface. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, as it enables attackers to execute malicious JavaScript code within the application context. The vulnerability's presence in Android versions before 4.4 is particularly concerning as these older versions may lack modern security mitigations and sandboxing mechanisms that would otherwise prevent such exploits from succeeding.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-4783 should focus on immediate application updates to version 3.5.98_ww or later, which would address the input validation flaws that enable the XSS attacks. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management processes to ensure all instances of the vulnerable application are updated promptly. Additionally, network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content security policies can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input sanitization and output encoding practices as recommended by OWASP and other security frameworks. Users should be educated about the risks of downloading files from untrusted sources and the importance of keeping applications updated to protect against known vulnerabilities. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious script injection attempts and anomalous user behavior that could indicate exploitation attempts.