CVE-2017-16009 in ag-grid
Summary
by MITRE
ag-grid is an advanced data grid that is library agnostic. ag-grid is vulnerable to Cross-site Scripting (XSS) via Angular Expressions, if AngularJS is used in combination with ag-grid.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/21/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-16009 affects ag-grid, a popular advanced data grid component widely used in web applications for displaying and manipulating tabular data. This issue specifically manifests when ag-grid is integrated with AngularJS, creating a dangerous intersection that exposes applications to cross-site scripting attacks. The vulnerability stems from the improper handling of user-provided data within the grid's rendering mechanisms, particularly when Angular expressions are involved in the data processing pipeline.
The technical flaw resides in how ag-grid processes and renders data when AngularJS is present in the application environment. When users interact with the grid or when data is loaded into the grid, Angular expressions may be evaluated in contexts where user input is not properly sanitized or escaped. This creates an opportunity for malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code through carefully crafted input that gets processed by the grid component. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize or escape user-provided data, making it susceptible to XSS attacks that can execute malicious scripts in the context of the victim's browser.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on behalf of authenticated users, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further exploitation within the application. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it leverages the legitimate AngularJS framework that many applications already use, making the vulnerability harder to detect and more likely to be present in production environments. An attacker could craft malicious data inputs that, when rendered by the grid, would execute malicious JavaScript in the user's browser context, potentially stealing cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or performing actions on behalf of the user.
Organizations using ag-grid with AngularJS should immediately implement mitigations including input sanitization, output encoding, and proper validation of all data entering the grid component. The recommended approach involves ensuring that all user-provided data is properly escaped before being rendered in grid cells, implementing Content Security Policy headers to prevent script execution, and updating to patched versions of ag-grid where available. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution, where adversaries leverage existing browser-based applications to execute malicious code, and represents a common pattern in web application security where component integration creates unexpected attack surfaces. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious data patterns that might indicate attempted exploitation of this vulnerability.