CVE-2016-8639 in Foreman
Summary
by MITRE
It was found that foreman before 1.13.0 is vulnerable to a stored XSS via an organization or location name. This could allow an attacker with privileges to set the organization or location name to display arbitrary HTML including scripting code within the web interface.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/28/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-8639 affects the Foreman configuration management platform prior to version 1.13.0, representing a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw that undermines the security integrity of the web interface. This vulnerability resides in the handling of organization and location name parameters within the Foreman application, where user-supplied input is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered in the web interface. The flaw allows attackers with sufficient privileges to manipulate these naming fields in a manner that persists across sessions, making it a stored XSS vulnerability rather than a reflected one. The security implications are significant as this vulnerability can be exploited by authenticated users who possess the ability to modify organizational structures within the Foreman environment.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker with appropriate permissions creates or modifies an organization or location name that contains malicious HTML content including embedded JavaScript code. When other users navigate to pages displaying these names, the malicious code executes within their browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further compromise of the affected systems. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding practices within the Foreman application's data handling pipeline, where user-provided data flows directly into HTML rendering without proper sanitization. This represents a classic stored XSS flaw that aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where malicious scripts are stored and then executed in the victim's browser.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-8639 extends beyond simple script execution, as it can facilitate more sophisticated attacks within the Foreman environment and potentially compromise the broader infrastructure it manages. An attacker could craft malicious organization or location names that redirect users to phishing sites, steal session cookies, or execute commands on behalf of the victim user. Given that Foreman is commonly used for managing large-scale infrastructure configurations, the compromise of a single naming field could provide attackers with access to sensitive configuration data and management capabilities. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, as the stored payload could execute shell commands or other malicious operations through the compromised web interface. Additionally, the flaw may enable privilege escalation attacks if the compromised user has elevated permissions within the Foreman system, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate system-wide configurations or access restricted functionality.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-8639 should prioritize immediate patching of Foreman installations to version 1.13.0 or later, where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation that strips or encodes potentially dangerous HTML characters from user-supplied organization and location names, ensuring that all user-generated content undergoes proper sanitization before storage and rendering. Network segmentation and role-based access controls should be enforced to limit the scope of potential exploitation, as the vulnerability requires authenticated access with appropriate privileges to modify organizational data. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual naming patterns or attempts to inject HTML content into organizational fields, while regular security audits should verify that all user inputs are properly sanitized and that the application maintains consistent security practices across all data entry points. The remediation process should also include user education regarding the risks of manipulating organizational structures and the importance of maintaining secure coding practices in web applications.