CVE-2021-3012 in ArcGIS Online
Summary
by MITRE • 04/08/2021
A cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Document Link of documents in ESRI ArcGIS Online before 10.9 and Enterprise before 10.9 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary JavaScript code via a malicious HTML attribute such as onerror (in the URL field of the Parameters tab).
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/15/2021
This cross-site scripting vulnerability exists in ESRI ArcGIS Online and Enterprise platforms prior to version 10.9, representing a critical security flaw that enables authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of affected applications. The vulnerability specifically manifests in the Document Link functionality where users can configure document parameters through a URL field in the Parameters tab. When malicious HTML attributes such as onerror are injected into this field, the application fails to properly sanitize or encode the input before rendering it in the browser, creating an XSS attack vector that can be exploited by remote authenticated users.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of HTML attributes within the URL parameter field of document links. When an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing JavaScript code within attributes like onerror, the application processes this input without adequate validation or sanitization. This processing flaw allows the injected JavaScript to execute in the context of the victim's browser session, potentially enabling attackers to steal session cookies, modify application behavior, or redirect users to malicious sites. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authenticated access to the platform, meaning that users with valid credentials can leverage this flaw to compromise other users within the same environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code injection, as it can facilitate more sophisticated attacks within the ArcGIS ecosystem. Attackers could potentially access sensitive geospatial data, manipulate map layers, or execute commands that affect the integrity of geographic information systems. The authenticated nature of the attack means that attackers do not need to compromise user credentials through social engineering or other means, as they can exploit their legitimate access to perform malicious activities. This vulnerability undermines the trust model of the platform and could lead to data breaches, unauthorized access to sensitive geographic information, and potential disruption of critical mapping services that organizations rely upon.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to ESRI ArcGIS Online and Enterprise version 10.9 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this vulnerability. Additionally, administrators should review and restrict user permissions where possible, implement strict input validation for URL parameters, and consider deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and represents a clear violation of secure coding practices that should be addressed through proper input sanitization and output encoding. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566.001, which covers the use of malicious HTML files, and could potentially lead to privilege escalation or data exfiltration through the execution of malicious JavaScript code within the victim's browser context.