CVE-2017-16771 in Photo Station
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Log Viewer in Synology Photo Station before 6.8.3-3463 and before 6.3-2971 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the username parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/22/2023
The CVE-2017-16771 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in Synology Photo Station's Log Viewer component. This vulnerability affects versions prior to 6.8.3-3463 and 6.3-2971, creating a significant security risk for organizations utilizing Synology's photo management solutions. The flaw specifically manifests when the application fails to properly sanitize user input within the username parameter, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML code into the application's response. The vulnerability's presence in the Log Viewer component is particularly concerning as it provides attackers with a potential entry point to execute malicious code within the context of authenticated user sessions.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the Photo Station application. When the system processes the username parameter through the Log Viewer interface, it fails to adequately filter or escape special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This lack of proper sanitization creates an environment where attackers can craft malicious payloads that execute when other users view the log entries containing the injected content. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in web applications, and demonstrates how improper input handling can lead to arbitrary code execution within user browsers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable sophisticated attack vectors including session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration. Remote attackers can exploit this flaw to execute malicious scripts in the context of authenticated users, potentially gaining access to sensitive photo collections, user credentials, and other confidential information stored within the Photo Station environment. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or local network presence to carry out successful attacks, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Synology Photo Station is deployed. This weakness directly correlates with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers social engineering attacks through malicious links, and T1059, which encompasses command and scripting interpreter usage.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to Synology Photo Station versions 6.8.3-3463 or 6.3-2971, which contain the necessary patches to address the XSS vulnerability. System administrators should also implement additional protective measures including web application firewalls, input validation rules, and regular security assessments of Synology installations. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious patterns in log viewer access requests, and user education programs should be established to raise awareness about potential phishing attempts that may exploit this vulnerability. The remediation process should also include thorough vulnerability scanning of all Synology devices within the network infrastructure to identify any remaining unpatched systems that may still be vulnerable to similar XSS attacks.