#VU77779 Code Injection in HtmlUnit - CVE-2023-26119

Vulnerability identifier: #VU77779

Vulnerability risk: High

CVSSv4.0: 8.1 [CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Amber]

CVE-ID: CVE-2023-26119

CWE-ID: CWE-94

Exploitation vector: Network

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
HtmlUnit
Client/Desktop applications / Web browsers

Vendor: HtmlUnit

Description

The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the target system.

The vulnerability exists due to improper input validation when parsing XSTL code. A remote attacker can trick the victim to open a specially crafted web page and execute arbitrary code on the target system.

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may result in complete compromise of vulnerable system.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

HtmlUnit: 2.0 - 2.70.0

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External links
https://siebene.github.io/2022/12/30/HtmlUnit-RCE/
https://security.snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JAVA-NETSOURCEFORGEHTMLUNIT-3252500
https://github.com/HtmlUnit/htmlunit/commit/641325bbc84702dc9800ec7037aec061ce21956b

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

Yes. This vulnerability can be exploited by a remote non-authenticated attacker via the Internet.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.