Date: February 8th, 2018
Affected Versions: All previous 3.x Nexus Repository OSS/Pro versions up to and including 3.7.1
Fixed in Version: Nexus Repository OSS/Pro version 3.8
Risk: Medium - 6.1 (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N)
Summary:
Multiple Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities have been discovered in Nexus Repository 3.
A remote attacker can execute arbitrary JavaScript within the context of the Nexus Repository application. This advisory provides the pertinent information needed to properly address this vulnerability, along with the details on how to reach us if you have any further questions or concerns.
These vulnerabilities were identified by external researchers and internal employees and have been verified by our security team. We are not aware of any active exploits taking advantage of this issue. However, we strongly encourage all users of Nexus Repository 3 to immediately take the steps outlined in this advisory.
The identified vulnerability allows arbitrary JavaScript to run in a Nexus Repository user’s browser in the context of the Nexus Repository application. We highly recommend all instances of Nexus Repository be upgraded to 3.8 or later.
Publicly available Nexus Repository 3 instances are at greater risk and we have taken steps to mitigate this vulnerability in known public forge instances as well as providing remediation guidance to the overall Nexus Repository user community.
The vulnerability associated with this advisory is fixed in version 3.8 and above.
For detailed information on upgrade compatibility, please see:
https://support.sonatype.com/entries/21701998-Sonatype-Nexus-Upgrade-and-Compatibility-Notes
Credit:
Sonatype thanks Viktor Gazdag of NCC Group and Werner Schober & Daniel Ostovary (discovery, analysis, coordination) from the SEC Consult Vulnerability Lab (https://www.sec-consult.com/) for responsibly reporting the identified issues and working with us as we addressed them.
Support:
If you run into any problems, or have any questions/concerns, please contact us by filing a ticket at https://support.sonatype.com.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: What is the risk associated with this vulnerability?
A: An attacker can execute arbitrary JavaScript within the context of the Nexus Repository application leading to the compromise of the confidentiality and integrity of data.
Q: What preconditions must be met in order to be vulnerable?
A: In most cases, an attacker must have network access to the Nexus Repository instance. However, there is one instance where an unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit the vulnerability.
Q: Are there implications associated with this advisory itself?
A: Disclosure unfortunately means bad actors may try to take advantage. While we have initially limited the information to the minimum details necessary for users to affect an appropriate fix, this merely slows down a would-be attacker. As such, we are advising all organizations utilizing Nexus Repository to immediately assess their individual impact and take appropriate action in response.
Q: Where can I obtain more information associated with the vulnerability?
A: At this time, and in the interest of best protecting our user community, we are limiting the information released to that absolutely required in order to assess impact and affect remediation. Please contact support for more information.
Q: Why is Sonatype making this information available?
A: This is part of a responsible disclosure process. Given Nexus Repository is an open-source project with over 150,000 active server installations, notifying the user base will invariably lead to broad dissemination. We are taking a concerted and proactive approach in our outreach activities and an effort to achieve the most rapid remediation possible.