Dashy is an increasingly popular web-based dashboard application used both by individuals and businesses to manage and display various information nodes efficiently on a single platform. It is widely employed to consolidate multiple data sources into a coherent interface that is customizable to meet unique user needs. Over time, numerous enterprises have integrated Dashy into their workflow to enhance productivity by visualizing metrics, quick-link management, and resource monitoring. Developed by the open-source community, it allows extensive modifications and theme alterations, proving its flexibility in rendering tailored user experiences. The web interface makes it accessible across various operating systems and devices, ensuring versatile user engagement. With a growing number of contributors, Dashy continues to evolve, adding features such as integrations with third-party APIs and security patches to maintain robust functionality.
The vulnerability detected is a type of Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), specifically reflected XSS, present in the Dashy application versions up to 4.3.6. Exploiting the vulnerability involves manipulating the URL with a malicious query parameter, which is improperly sanitized before rendering. This issue arises from a lack of input validation on the query parameter used in the workspace view iframe src attribute. If users unknowingly click on a crafted URL, it results in the execution of arbitrary JavaScript in the context of the Dashy origin. This exposure may allow attackers to execute scripts on the user's behalf, accessing the application's DOM and potentially intercepting sensitive data. Consequently, attackers can gain unauthorized control within the same browser origin leading to data breaches.
The vulnerability details revolve around an inadequately validated URL query parameter that is directly embedded into an iframe's src attribute. This improper handling allows JavaScript URIs to pass through without a scheme validation, posing a risk whereby malicious scripts can be executed. The path affected is specifically the '/workspace' route, which lacks the necessary sanitization checks to block JavaScript content. Moreover, the exploitable part facilitates the execution of a script like 'javascript:alert(document.domain)', alerting the document's domain name as proof of concept. The reflection of injected script into the HTML context without escaping or validating gives rise to potential script injection attacks. This problematic behavior persists in the application versions 4.3.6 and below, urging users to perform prompt updates.
When exploited, this XSS vulnerability can lead to severe implications such as theft of user cookies, session hijacking, and redirection to malicious websites. Additionally, attackers can impersonate user sessions, granting them unintended access to user-specific data and actions within the Dashy environment. This breach of integrity and confidentiality could provide further opportunities for lateral movements across networked components lacking isolation. Phishing attacks might also become more effective by using the application's context to deceive users into providing sensitive information. Finally, if an SSO configuration is employed, the potential compromise may extend to other applications or services accessed through the single sign-on infrastructure.
REFERENCES
- Update Dashy to version 4.3.7 or later to patch the vulnerability.
- Implement input validation and output encoding to prevent script injections.
- Ensure proper scheme validation for URL parameters used in iframes.
- Regularly monitor and audit the codebase for security vulnerabilities.
- Educate users to avoid clicking on suspicious links which may be crafted for attacks.
Get AI-powered remediation steps tailored to your asset.
Try AI Solutions →