This article is a part of our Vulnerability Database (back to index)
Cross-site Scripting occurrences in Video Downloader
XSS in the Video Downloader component before 1.5 of Avast Secure Browser 77.1.1831.91 and AVG Secure Browser 77.0.1790.77 allows websites to execute their code in the context of this component. While Video Downloader is technically a browser extension, it is granted a very wide set of privileges and can for example access cookies and browsing history, spy on the user while they are surfing the web, and alter their surfing experience in almost arbitrary ways. (2020-01-13, CVE-2019-18893)
The Video Downloader professional extension before 2018-04-05 for Chrome has Universal XSS (UXSS) via vectors related to a link64_msgAddLinks event. (2018-04-11, CVE-2018-10000)
Why Cross-site Scripting can be dangerous
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>