CVE-2016-8855 in Sitecore Experience Platform
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) in "/sitecore/client/Applications/List Manager/Taskpages/Contact list" in Sitecore Experience Platform 8.1 rev. 160519 (8.1 Update-3) allows remote attacks via the Name or Description parameter. This is fixed in 8.2 Update-2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/23/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-8855 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Sitecore Experience Platform 8.1 Update-3, specifically affecting the List Manager component. This security weakness resides in the "/sitecore/client/Applications/List Manager/Taskpages/Contact list" interface where user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to the browser. The vulnerability manifests when attackers manipulate the Name or Description parameters, allowing malicious scripts to be injected and executed within the context of authenticated users' browsers. This particular implementation flaw affects organizations utilizing Sitecore's content management platform for digital experience management, potentially compromising user sessions and enabling further exploitation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting as a code injection flaw where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or escaping mechanisms. The flaw operates at the application layer where user input flows directly into HTML output without adequate sanitization, creating an environment where malicious payloads can be executed. Attackers can craft specially formatted inputs containing script tags or other malicious code that gets stored and subsequently rendered to other users browsing the affected interface. This vulnerability specifically impacts the Sitecore client application interface rather than the server-side processing, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect authenticated administrators and content editors who interact with the list management features.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user information, and potentially escalate privileges within the Sitecore environment. When authenticated users access the vulnerable contact list page, their browsers execute the malicious scripts, which could redirect them to phishing sites, steal cookies, or perform unauthorized actions on their behalf. The vulnerability affects the entire Sitecore Experience Platform ecosystem, potentially compromising content management workflows and user data integrity. Organizations relying on Sitecore for digital marketing and content delivery face significant risk of data breaches and unauthorized access to their customer databases through this vector.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including applying the available patches from Sitecore versions 8.2 Update-2 and later, which address this vulnerability through proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers, input sanitization at the application level, and regular security scanning of web applications can help reduce the risk of exploitation. Security teams should conduct thorough penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the Sitecore platform and ensure that all user inputs are properly validated and escaped before being rendered in web interfaces. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing comprehensive security controls around user-facing web applications to prevent exploitation through common injection flaws.