CVE-2017-12885 in Scripting
Summary
by MITRE
OX Software GmbH App Suite 7.8.4 and earlier is affected by: Cross Site Scripting (XSS).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/08/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-12885 represents a cross site scripting flaw within the OX Software GmbH App Suite version 7.8.4 and earlier releases. This security weakness resides in the web application's handling of user input, specifically within the email composition and viewing interfaces where unfiltered data enters the application's rendering pipeline. The vulnerability allows malicious actors to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, potentially compromising the integrity of the application's user sessions and data confidentiality.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the email client component of the App Suite. When users compose or receive emails containing specially crafted malicious payloads, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape the content before rendering it in the browser context. This flaw creates an environment where attackers can execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the victim's browser session, leveraging the trust relationship between the user and the application. The vulnerability manifests when the application processes user-supplied content without adequate sanitization, allowing script tags or other malicious code elements to persist in the rendered HTML output.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable sophisticated attack vectors including session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration. An attacker could craft malicious emails containing embedded scripts that steal session cookies or redirect users to phishing sites. The vulnerability affects the core email functionality of the application suite, potentially compromising thousands of users who rely on the platform for business communications. Given the widespread deployment of OX App Suite in enterprise environments, the exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to significant data breaches and operational disruptions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-12885 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected software versions to address the input validation gaps. Organizations should implement comprehensive content security policies that include proper output encoding and input sanitization mechanisms. The application should employ strict whitelist-based validation for all user-supplied content and utilize modern security headers such as Content Security Policy to prevent unauthorized script execution. Additionally, security awareness training for users can help identify potentially malicious emails, while network monitoring solutions can detect anomalous behavior patterns associated with XSS exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script execution through web applications, highlighting the need for layered defensive measures including both application-level fixes and network-based protections.