CVE-2018-1000516 in Galaxy
Summary
by MITRE
The Galaxy Project Galaxy version v14.10 contains a CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation vulnerability in Many templates used in the Galaxy server did not properly sanitize user's input, which would allow for cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. In this form of attack, a malicious person can create a URL which, when opened by a Galaxy user or administrator, would allow the malicious user to execute arbitrary Javascript. that can result in Arbitrary JavaScript code execution. This attack appear to be exploitable via The victim must interact with component on page witch contains injected JavaScript code.. This vulnerability appears to have been fixed in v14.10.1, v15.01.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/22/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1000516 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Galaxy Project Galaxy platform, specifically affecting version 14.10. This issue stems from CWE-79, which categorizes improper neutralization of input during web page generation as a fundamental weakness in web application security. The vulnerability manifests through multiple templates used within the Galaxy server environment, where user input fails to undergo proper sanitization before being rendered in web pages. This oversight creates a pathway for malicious actors to inject malicious JavaScript code into the application's output, thereby enabling unauthorized execution of arbitrary scripts within the context of affected users' browsers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it allows attackers to fully compromise user sessions and potentially escalate privileges within the Galaxy environment. When victims interact with web pages containing the injected JavaScript code, the malicious scripts execute with the privileges of the targeted user, which could include administrators with elevated access rights. This scenario poses significant risks to data integrity, confidentiality, and availability within the Galaxy platform, particularly in research environments where sensitive genomic data and computational resources are handled. The vulnerability's exploitability requires user interaction with compromised page components, making it particularly dangerous in collaborative research settings where users frequently share links and resources.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers JavaScript and VBScript execution, and demonstrates how improper input handling can lead to arbitrary code execution within web applications. The fix implemented in versions 14.10.1 and 15.01 addresses the root cause by introducing proper input sanitization mechanisms within the affected templates. Organizations utilizing Galaxy Project Galaxy must prioritize immediate patching of affected systems, as the vulnerability enables attackers to perform session hijacking, data exfiltration, and potentially gain access to underlying computational resources. Security teams should also implement additional monitoring for suspicious user behavior and unusual resource access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of input validation and output encoding in web applications, particularly in environments handling sensitive research data where the consequences of security breaches can be severe and far-reaching.