CVE-2026-35114 in AION
Summary
by MITRE • 11/06/2026
HCL AION is affected by a vulnerability where the X-Content-Type-Options header was missing or insecure, allowing browsers to MIME-sniff responses. This may cause content to be interpreted as an unintended type, potentially resulting in unintended behavior or security impact under certain conditions.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/06/2026
The identified vulnerability in HCL AION stems from a misconfiguration of the HTTP response headers, specifically concerning the X-Content-Type-Options directive. In modern web architectures, browsers employ MIME-sniffing mechanisms to determine how to handle content received from servers when the Content-Type header is ambiguous or missing. While this feature was originally designed to improve compatibility with legacy resources that lacked proper type declarations, it introduces significant security risks in contemporary applications where strict adherence to declared types is critical for preventing attacks such as Cross-Site Scripting and drive-by downloads. The absence of a restrictive X-Content-Type-Options header means the browser retains the autonomy to interpret the payload based on its content rather than the server's explicit declaration, creating an environment where malicious actors can exploit this flexibility to execute unintended code or trigger harmful behaviors within the user's session.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-16 known as Configuration, which encompasses errors in how system components are set up and secured. When the X-Content-Type-Options header is not present or does include the value nosniff, the application fails to enforce strict MIME type validation at the client side. This allows an attacker who has some level of input injection capability, such as through reflected cross-site scripting vectors, to craft payloads that appear benign based on their file extension but contain executable script content in their body. The browser may then execute this code because it sniffs the content and determines it is a script, bypassing the server's intended classification of the resource as plain text or HTML data. This discrepancy between server intent and client interpretation undermines the integrity of the application's security model.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure. It facilitates potential cross-site scripting attacks where malicious scripts are executed in the context of the vulnerable domain, leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or defacement. Furthermore, if the application serves downloadable files, MIME-sniffing can lead to drive-by download attacks where a file intended to be an image is interpreted and executed as a script by older browsers or specific browser configurations that are more permissive in their sniffing logic. This creates a pathway for remote code execution under certain conditions, particularly when combined with other vulnerabilities such as insufficient input validation on the server side. The risk is exacerbated if sensitive data is embedded within responses that lack proper type constraints, increasing the likelihood of successful exploitation by automated scanning tools and human attackers alike.
To mitigate this vulnerability, it is imperative to configure all HTTP responses from HCL AION to include the X-Content-Type-Options header with the value nosniff. This directive instructs browsers not to perform MIME-sniffing and to strictly adhere to the Content-Type header provided by the server. Implementing this fix at the web server or application framework level ensures that all outgoing traffic is protected against interpretation errors. Additionally, organizations should adopt a defense-in-depth strategy by implementing strict Content Security Policy headers to further restrict script execution sources and prevent inline scripts from running unless explicitly allowed. Regular security audits and automated vulnerability scanning should be integrated into the development lifecycle to detect such header misconfigurations early. Adhering to industry standards like OWASP Secure Headers Project recommendations will ensure that applications maintain robust protection against MIME-type related attacks, thereby preserving user trust and system integrity.