CVE-2018-16481 in html-page
Summary
by MITRE
A XSS vulnerability was found in html-page <=2.1.1 that allows malicious Javascript code to be executed in the user's browser due to the absence of sanitization of the paths before rendering.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-16481 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the html-page package version 2.1.1 and earlier. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly validate and escape user-supplied paths before rendering them within HTML documents. The affected component processes file paths or URLs without implementing proper security controls to prevent malicious script injection, creating an avenue for attackers to execute arbitrary javascript code within the context of a victim's browser session. The vulnerability specifically impacts applications that utilize the html-page library for generating dynamic HTML content, where user-provided paths or file references are directly incorporated into the rendered output without appropriate security filtering.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker can manipulate input parameters that are subsequently used to construct HTML elements containing user-supplied paths. Without proper sanitization, malicious payloads can be embedded within these paths and executed when the page renders, allowing attackers to perform actions such as stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or executing unauthorized commands within the victim's browser environment. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes Cross-Site Scripting flaws where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without adequate validation or escaping. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic insecure data handling pattern where user input flows directly into HTML rendering without proper security controls, creating a direct pathway for malicious code execution.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-16481 extends beyond simple script execution to encompass broader security implications for web applications utilizing the affected library. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access patterns, conduct session hijacking attacks, or deploy more sophisticated malicious payloads that exploit the victim's browser context. The vulnerability affects any application that processes user inputs through the html-page library, potentially compromising user data integrity and confidentiality. Organizations relying on this library may experience unauthorized access to sensitive information, as the malicious javascript code can access local storage, cookies, and other browser-based data that applications typically use for maintaining user sessions and storing sensitive information.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms. The most effective approach involves updating to html-page version 2.1.2 or later, which contains the necessary security patches to address the sanitization gap. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation that filters or escapes special characters in user-provided paths before rendering them in HTML contexts. Security measures should include implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution capabilities, using proper HTML escaping functions for all dynamic content, and conducting thorough code reviews to identify similar patterns throughout the application codebase. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing automated security scanning tools that can detect similar vulnerabilities in their dependency libraries, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date third-party components and following secure coding practices that align with established security frameworks such as those recommended by the OWASP Top Ten project and the ATT&CK framework's web application attack patterns.