CVE-2020-7763 in phantom-html-to-pdf
Summary
by MITRE • 11/05/2020
This affects the package phantom-html-to-pdf before 0.6.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/02/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-7763 impacts the phantom-html-to-pdf package, a tool used for converting html documents to pdf format through phantomjs headless browser. This package serves as a bridge between html content and pdf generation, making it a critical component in document processing workflows across various applications. The affected versions prior to 0.6.1 contain a security flaw that could potentially allow unauthorized code execution or information disclosure during the conversion process. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the package's handling of html content, creating opportunities for malicious actors to exploit the conversion mechanism.
The technical flaw manifests in the package's improper handling of user-supplied html content that gets processed through phantomjs. When the package receives html input for pdf conversion, it fails to adequately sanitize or validate the content before passing it to the phantomjs engine. This creates a potential attack surface where malicious html code could be injected and executed within the phantomjs context. The vulnerability specifically relates to command injection or code execution possibilities, as the package does not properly isolate or sanitize html elements that might contain executable scripts or malicious markup. This flaw aligns with common weakness categories such as CWE-74, which addresses improper neutralization of special elements used in data queries, and CWE-94, dealing with improper control of generation of code, both of which are fundamental to the security of web-based conversion tools.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, potentially allowing attackers to access system resources, extract sensitive data, or perform unauthorized actions on systems where the package is deployed. When applications rely on phantom-html-to-pdf for document generation, they become vulnerable to attacks that could compromise the entire system or application stack. The vulnerability affects organizations that use this package in production environments for generating reports, invoices, or other html-based documents that might be processed through user input or dynamic content sources. Attackers could exploit this to gain access to server resources or execute arbitrary commands, particularly in environments where the package runs with elevated privileges or has access to sensitive data repositories.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-7763 primarily involve upgrading to version 0.6.1 or later, which includes proper input validation and sanitization mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all instances of the vulnerable package are updated across their infrastructure. Additional protective measures include implementing strict input validation at multiple layers, using sandboxed environments for html processing, and employing least privilege principles when running the conversion processes. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in document generation requests that might indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation approach aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059, which addresses execution through command and scripting interpreter, and emphasizes the importance of validating inputs and controlling code execution paths in web-based applications. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to further protect against exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in their document processing workflows.