CVE-2020-28478 in gsap Package
Summary
by MITRE • 01/19/2021
This affects the package gsap before 3.6.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/15/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-28478 represents a critical security flaw within the GreenSock Animation Platform (GSAP) library, specifically affecting versions prior to 3.6.0. This JavaScript animation library is widely utilized across web applications for creating smooth and complex animations, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to exploit web-based vulnerabilities. The issue stems from improper input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the library's core functionality, which processes user-supplied data to generate animations. GSAP serves as a foundational component for numerous web applications, particularly those requiring sophisticated visual effects, making the potential impact of this vulnerability significant across multiple attack surfaces.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the library's handling of certain animation parameters and data structures that do not properly validate or sanitize incoming inputs. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious animation configurations that leverage the library's processing logic to execute unintended code or manipulate the animation flow in unexpected ways. This flaw typically manifests when the library processes animation data that contains specially crafted payloads designed to bypass normal validation checks. The vulnerability creates a path for potential code injection attacks, where attacker-controlled data can influence how animations are rendered or processed, potentially leading to unauthorized actions within the browser context.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-28478 extends beyond simple animation disruption, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities within the context of affected web applications. This includes potential cross-site scripting attacks, where malicious scripts could be executed in users' browsers when they interact with vulnerable applications. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of web applications that rely on GSAP for their visual presentation, as it allows for unauthorized manipulation of the animation processing pipeline. Organizations using vulnerable versions of GSAP may experience data exposure, session hijacking, or other browser-based attacks that exploit the underlying security weakness in the library's implementation.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability primarily involve upgrading to GSAP version 3.6.0 or later, which includes comprehensive fixes for the input validation issues that enabled the exploitation. System administrators and development teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all applications utilizing vulnerable versions of the library and prioritize immediate remediation efforts. Additionally, implementing proper input sanitization measures at the application level can provide defense-in-depth protection against similar vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider monitoring their web applications for suspicious animation-related requests and implementing content security policies to limit potential exploitation vectors. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 (Cross-site Scripting) and CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) categories, and can be mapped to ATT&CK techniques related to client-side exploitation and code injection within browser environments. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that the upgrade does not introduce compatibility issues with existing animation implementations while maintaining the security posture of the affected applications.