CVE-2017-16880 in whoops
Summary
by MITRE
The dump function in Util/TemplateHelper.php in filp whoops before 2.1.13 has XSS.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/11/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-16880 resides within the dump function of the Util/TemplateHelper.php file in the filp/whoops library, a widely used PHP error handling and debugging tool. This library is designed to provide developers with detailed error information and stack traces during application development and testing phases. The issue manifests as a cross-site scripting vulnerability that can be exploited when the library processes and displays variable dumps in its error reporting interface. The vulnerability affects versions prior to 2.1.13, indicating that the developers were aware of the security implications but had not yet implemented sufficient protections in earlier releases.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient input sanitization within the dump function's handling of variable data that gets rendered in the HTML output of the error display. When whoops encounters variables during error processing, it attempts to serialize and display their contents for debugging purposes. However, the implementation fails to properly escape or sanitize special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code when rendered in the browser. This occurs because the function does not adequately filter or encode data that may contain malicious scripts, particularly when dealing with user-supplied or application-generated variables that could contain untrusted input.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can be leveraged by attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of a victim's browser session. An attacker could potentially craft malicious input that when processed by whoops' dump function would result in script execution, leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or other malicious activities. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in development environments where whoops is often enabled and accessible to users, as it can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to sensitive debugging information or to perform client-side attacks against developers who are viewing error pages.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications, and demonstrates how improper output encoding can lead to severe security implications. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1211, which involves exploiting vulnerabilities in software components to execute malicious code. The security implications are particularly severe because whoops is commonly used in web applications where error handling is critical, and the library often runs in environments where it may be exposed to untrusted input. The vulnerability also intersects with ATT&CK technique T1203, as it represents an opportunity for attackers to manipulate application behavior through crafted input that gets processed by the error handling system.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to version 2.1.13 or later of the filp/whoops library to remediate this vulnerability. Additionally, administrators should ensure that whoops is not enabled in production environments where it could be exposed to untrusted users. The recommended mitigation strategy includes implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application stack, particularly in error handling components. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and prevent exploitation attempts, and conduct regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other third-party libraries and components that may be susceptible to similar issues.