CVE-2016-6343 in JBoss BPM Suite
Summary
by MITRE
JBoss BPM Suite 6 is vulnerable to a reflected XSS via dashbuilder. Remote attackers can entice authenticated users that have privileges to access dashbuilder (usually admins) to click on links to /dashbuilder/Controller containing malicious scripts. Successful exploitation would allow execution of script code within the context of the affected user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/04/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6343 affects JBoss BPM Suite 6 and represents a significant security weakness in the dashbuilder component that could be exploited through reflected cross-site scripting attacks. This vulnerability specifically targets the Controller endpoint within the dashbuilder functionality, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary script code in the context of authenticated users' browsers. The attack vector requires social engineering to convince authenticated administrators or users with dashbuilder access privileges to click on maliciously crafted links, making the exploitation dependent on user interaction rather than purely automated techniques.
The technical flaw manifests in how the dashbuilder component processes user input through the Controller endpoint without proper sanitization or encoding of parameters. When users navigate to URLs containing malicious script payloads within the dashbuilder Controller path, the application fails to adequately validate or escape the input before rendering it in the browser context. This reflected XSS vulnerability allows attackers to inject script code that executes in the victim's browser session, potentially enabling full compromise of the authenticated user's privileges within the application environment. The vulnerability specifically impacts users who possess administrative or elevated privileges within the dashbuilder functionality, amplifying the potential impact of successful exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform a range of malicious activities within the compromised user context. An attacker could potentially extract session cookies, steal authentication tokens, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of the authenticated user within the JBoss BPM Suite environment. Given that the affected users typically possess administrative privileges, successful exploitation could lead to complete compromise of the application's security posture, potentially allowing attackers to access sensitive business process data, modify workflows, or escalate their privileges further within the system. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that attackers do not need to store malicious payloads on the server, making detection and prevention more challenging.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-6343 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the dashbuilder Controller component. Organizations should ensure that all user-supplied input is properly sanitized before being processed or rendered in the browser context, with particular attention to the Controller endpoint. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script execution, while regular security updates and patches should be applied to address the underlying vulnerability. According to CWE standards, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-site Scripting flaws, and it can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter usage. Organizations should also implement user education and awareness programs to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks that exploit this vulnerability, as the successful exploitation requires user interaction through malicious links. Additionally, network segmentation and monitoring of dashbuilder access patterns can help detect anomalous behavior that might indicate attempted exploitation of this vulnerability.