CVE-2016-7119 in DotNetNuke
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the user-profile biography section in DotNetNuke (DNN) before 8.0.1 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted onclick attribute in an IMG element.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/05/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-7119 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in DotNetNuke content management systems prior to version 8.0.1. This security weakness resides within the user-profile biography section of the platform, creating a significant attack vector for malicious actors seeking to exploit the system's input validation mechanisms. The vulnerability specifically targets the handling of HTML content within user biography fields, where insufficient sanitization allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers. This flaw demonstrates the classic characteristics of a reflected XSS vulnerability, where crafted input is stored and subsequently executed without proper validation or encoding.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate HTML sanitization within the DNN platform's user profile management system. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious HTML content containing an onclick attribute within an IMG element, which gets processed and stored in the user biography section. When other users view the affected profile, the malicious script executes in their browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or other malicious activities. The vulnerability specifically affects authenticated users who can modify their profile information, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users have elevated privileges or access to sensitive data. This flaw falls under CWE-79 which categorizes improper neutralization of input during web page generation, representing one of the most prevalent web application security vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-7119 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform sophisticated attacks such as cookie theft, session manipulation, and data exfiltration from authenticated user sessions. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means attackers can leverage this weakness from any location without requiring physical access to the system. Organizations running affected versions of DNN face significant risks including unauthorized data access, privilege escalation, and potential complete system compromise. The attack vector requires minimal technical expertise, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by threat actors with varying skill levels. Security researchers have documented similar vulnerabilities in other CMS platforms, highlighting the widespread nature of improper input validation in web applications. This vulnerability directly maps to tactics described in the ATT&CK framework under TA0001 Initial Access and TA0002 Execution, where attackers can establish footholds through web-based exploitation techniques.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-7119 focus primarily on upgrading to DotNetNuke version 8.0.1 or later, which includes proper HTML sanitization and input validation mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive content filtering policies that sanitize all user-generated content before storage and display. Additional protective measures include implementing proper HTTP headers such as Content Security Policy to limit script execution, regular security audits of user input handling, and monitoring for suspicious activity in user profile modifications. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads attempting to exploit this vulnerability. The fix implemented by DNN developers addresses the root cause by ensuring that onclick attributes and other potentially dangerous HTML elements are properly sanitized during profile data processing. Organizations should also conduct thorough testing of their web applications to identify similar input validation weaknesses that could be exploited in other components of their systems.