CVE-2017-6533 in webpagetest
Summary
by MITRE
A Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) issue was discovered in webpagetest 3.0. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient filtration of user-supplied data (benchmark) passed to the webpagetest-master/www/benchmarks/view.php URL. An attacker could execute arbitrary HTML and script code in a browser in the context of the vulnerable website.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/05/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6533 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the webpagetest 3.0 framework that poses significant security risks to web applications utilizing this testing platform. This vulnerability specifically manifests in the webpagetest-master/www/benchmarks/view.php endpoint where user-supplied benchmark data fails to undergo proper input sanitization before being rendered in web pages. The absence of adequate data validation and output encoding mechanisms creates an exploitable condition that allows malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary HTML and JavaScript code within the context of legitimate user sessions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting weaknesses in web applications. This classification indicates that the flaw stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding practices that permit malicious payloads to bypass security controls. The vulnerability operates by accepting user-provided benchmark parameters through the webpagetest interface and subsequently incorporating these unfiltered inputs directly into HTML output without proper sanitization. This design flaw enables attackers to craft malicious benchmark entries that, when processed by the vulnerable application, execute unintended code within users' browsers.
From an operational perspective, this XSS vulnerability presents attackers with the ability to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and redirection to malicious sites. The impact extends beyond simple code execution as attackers can leverage this vulnerability to impersonate legitimate users, access sensitive information, and potentially compromise the entire web application infrastructure. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical expertise and can be achieved through simple benchmark input manipulation, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users interact with the testing platform.
The security implications of CVE-2017-6533 align with several ATT&CK techniques including T1059.007 for script execution and T1531 for credential access through web application vulnerabilities. Organizations utilizing webpagetest 3.0 are particularly vulnerable to attacks that could lead to complete system compromise if the testing platform is accessible to untrusted users. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in input handling practices that violates core security principles of defense in depth and least privilege access controls. Remediation efforts should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation, output encoding, and proper parameter sanitization across all user-supplied data pathways within the web application.