CVE-2017-9556 in Video Station
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Video Metadata Editor in Synology Video Station before 2.3.0-1435 allows remote authenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the title parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/15/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-9556 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Synology Video Station's Video Metadata Editor component. This issue affects versions prior to 2.3.0-1435 and creates a significant security risk for users who interact with the video management system. The flaw specifically resides in how the application processes user input through the title parameter, which is commonly used when adding or editing video metadata entries. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious scripts within the title field, which then get executed in the context of other users' browsers who view the affected metadata.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which defines cross-site scripting as a code injection attack where malicious scripts are executed in the victim's browser. The flaw occurs because the Video Station application fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied input before rendering it back to the user interface. When an authenticated attacker submits a specially crafted title parameter containing malicious HTML or JavaScript code, the application stores this input without adequate validation or encoding. This allows the stored script to execute whenever other users browse the video metadata, creating a persistent XSS vector that can be exploited across multiple sessions and user interactions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with the ability to perform various malicious activities within the victim's browser context. Attackers could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, deface the video station interface, or even execute more sophisticated attacks such as credential harvesting or privilege escalation within the application's context. Given that the vulnerability requires only authenticated access, it represents a significant risk in environments where multiple users interact with the video station, as a compromised user account could serve as a foothold for broader attacks against the organization's media management infrastructure.
This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of implementing proper input validation and output encoding as fundamental security controls within web applications. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it leverages legitimate application functionality to deliver malicious payloads, making detection more challenging for security monitoring systems. Organizations should consider implementing content security policies and regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in their digital infrastructure. The fix for this issue required Synology to implement proper sanitization of user input parameters, specifically ensuring that all metadata fields including titles are properly escaped before being rendered back to users. This remediation approach aligns with established security practices outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and various cybersecurity frameworks that emphasize the need for robust input validation and output encoding to prevent injection attacks. The vulnerability also highlights the significance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing automated patch management processes to protect against known security flaws that could be exploited by threat actors.