Mockserver Cross-site Scripting

MockServer is open source software which enables easy mocking of any system you integrate with via HTTP or HTTPS. An attacker that can trick a victim into visiting a malicious site while running MockServer locally, will be able to run arbitrary code on the MockServer machine. With an overly broad default CORS configuration MockServer allows any site to send cross-site requests. Additionally, MockServer allows you to create dynamic expectations using Javascript or Velocity templates. Both engines may allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on-behalf of MockServer. By combining these two issues (Overly broad CORS configuration + Script injection), an attacker could serve a malicious page so that if a developer running MockServer visits it, they will get compromised. For more details including a PoC see the referenced GHSL-2021-059. (2021-08-16, CVE-2021-32827)

Cross site scripting is an attack where a web page executes code that is injected by an adversary. It usually appears, when users input is presented. This attack can be used to impersonate a user, take over control of the session, or even steal API keys.

The attack can be executed e.g. when you application injects the request parameter directly into the HTML code of the page returned to the user:

https://server.com/confirmation?message=Transaction+Complete

what results in:

<span>Confirmation: Transaction Complete</span>

In that case the message can be modified to become a valid Javascript code, e.g.:

https://server.com/confirmation?message=<script>dangerous javascript code here</script>

and it will be executed locally by the user's browser with full access to the user's personal application/browser data:

<span>Confirmation: <script>dangerous javascript code here</script></span>