CVE-2016-7841 in Diary DX
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting vulnerability in Olive Diary DX allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the page parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/21/2020
The CVE-2016-7841 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the Olive Diary DX application, a web-based diary management system. This vulnerability resides in the application's handling of user-supplied input through the page parameter, creating an avenue for remote attackers to execute malicious code within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize or escape user-provided data before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing crafted script code within the page parameter value. When a victim navigates to this specially crafted link, the application processes the parameter without adequate sanitization, subsequently rendering the malicious script within the victim's browser session. This creates a persistent threat vector where attackers can steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect victims to malicious sites. The vulnerability is classified as a reflected cross-site scripting issue according to CWE-79, which specifically addresses the improper sanitization of user-controllable data that leads to execution of malicious scripts in the victim's browser context.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability compromises the confidentiality and integrity of user data within the Olive Diary DX application. Users who interact with the vulnerable system may unknowingly execute malicious code that can capture their credentials, monitor their activities, or manipulate the application's functionality. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that diary applications typically contain sensitive personal information, making the potential damage from such an exploit significant. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering through malicious links, and T1059 which involves execution through script interpreters, as attackers can leverage this flaw to establish persistent access to user sessions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-7841 should prioritize immediate input validation and output encoding implementation. Organizations must implement strict parameter validation that rejects or sanitizes any input containing potentially dangerous characters or script tags. The application should employ comprehensive output encoding mechanisms that escape special characters before rendering user data in web responses. Additionally, implementing a Content Security Policy header can provide an additional layer of protection by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Regular security testing including automated vulnerability scanning and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in web applications. The fix should also include proper error handling that does not expose internal application details to users, as recommended by OWASP top ten security practices and aligned with CWE-116 standards for proper encoding of data.