CVE-2016-8356 in WebDatorCentral
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Kabona AB WebDatorCentral (WDC) application prior to Version 3.4.0. The web server URL inputs are not sanitized correctly, which may allow cross-site scripting vulnerabilities.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/14/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-8356 affects the Kabona AB WebDatorCentral application, specifically targeting versions prior to 3.4.0. This represents a critical security flaw that undermines the application's input validation mechanisms and exposes users to potential cross-site scripting attacks. The issue stems from improper sanitization of web server URL inputs within the application's processing pipeline, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject harmful scripts into the application's response handling.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's failure to properly validate and sanitize user-supplied URL parameters before incorporating them into web responses. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which describes Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) conditions where improperly sanitized input data is rendered in web pages without appropriate escaping or encoding. The vulnerability exists because the application does not implement adequate input filtering or output encoding mechanisms to prevent malicious script execution in the context of the victim's browser session. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious URL parameters that, when processed by the vulnerable application, result in script execution within the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking, as it provides attackers with the capability to manipulate user experiences and potentially escalate privileges within the application's context. When exploited, the XSS vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the victim's browser, which could lead to session theft, credential harvesting, data manipulation, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability affects all users interacting with the WebDatorCentral application through affected versions, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the application handles sensitive data or user authentication.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-8356 should prioritize immediate application updates to version 3.4.0 or later, where the sanitization issues have been addressed. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation at multiple layers including client-side and server-side controls, enforce strict output encoding for all dynamic content, and establish proper content security policies to prevent script execution. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and regular security scanning can provide additional protection layers. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of adhering to secure coding practices and following the principle of least privilege in application development, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Scripting and T1566.001 for Spearphishing Attachment, as attackers can leverage such vulnerabilities to establish persistent access or conduct further exploitation activities.