CVE-2016-6858 in Hybris
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Create Employee feature in Hybris Management Console (HMC) in SAP Hybris before 5.0.4.11, 5.1.0.x before 5.1.0.11, 5.1.1.x before 5.1.1.12, 5.2.0.x and 5.3.0.x before 5.3.0.10, 5.4.x before 5.4.0.9, 5.5.0.x before 5.5.0.9, 5.5.1.x before 5.5.1.10, 5.6.x before 5.6.0.8, and 5.7.x before 5.7.0.9 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the Name field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/23/2019
The vulnerability CVE-2016-6858 represents a cross-site scripting flaw within the Hybris Management Console's Create Employee functionality, affecting multiple versions of SAP Hybris commerce platform. This issue resides in the input validation mechanisms of the HMC interface, where user-supplied data from the Name field is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to users. The vulnerability specifically targets authenticated users who possess sufficient privileges to access the employee creation feature, making it a server-side XSS vulnerability that can be exploited by malicious actors with legitimate access credentials. The flaw stems from inadequate output encoding and validation of user input, creating an attack surface where malicious scripts can be injected and subsequently executed in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the Name field during employee creation processes within the HMC. When an attacker crafts malicious input containing script tags or other HTML elements, these payloads are stored in the system and subsequently reflected back to other users who view the employee records. This creates a persistent XSS vector where the malicious code executes in the victim's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into web pages. The attack vector follows the typical XSS exploitation pattern where the malicious input is processed by the web application and then delivered to unsuspecting users without proper sanitization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to escalate privileges and compromise the entire Hybris management environment. An authenticated attacker can leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, modify employee records, or gain access to sensitive business data through the compromised browser sessions. The attack can be particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where the HMC is used by administrators and business users with elevated permissions. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple version lines indicates a fundamental flaw in the input validation architecture, making it a widespread concern for organizations running affected SAP Hybris systems. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through phishing, as attackers could potentially use the XSS to capture user credentials or manipulate user sessions through malicious script injection.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding controls to prevent the execution of malicious scripts in the Name field. The recommended approach involves implementing strict sanitization of all user input, particularly in administrative interfaces where privileged access exists. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution and employ regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation in web applications and the need for comprehensive security testing of administrative interfaces. SAP released patches for affected versions, and organizations should prioritize upgrading to supported releases that contain the necessary security fixes. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious input patterns can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical nature of maintaining secure coding practices and proper input validation in enterprise applications, particularly those handling sensitive business data through administrative interfaces.