# CVE-2016-8639: Cross-site scripting in foreman

> An attacker with privileges can inject arbitrary HTML and scripts into organization or location names, leading to stored XSS in the Foreman web interface.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.1 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 1 Aug 2018
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-mwqr-rg79-hjrr

## What is CVE-2016-8639?

CVE-2016-8639 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Redhat Satellite, published on 1 Aug 2018. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

It was found that foreman before 1.13.0 is vulnerable to a stored XSS via an organization or location name. This could allow an attacker with privileges to set the organization or location name to display arbitrary HTML including scripting code within the web interface.

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-8639?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Redhat Satellite, Redhat Satellite Capsule, Theforeman Foreman.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-8639?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2016-8639 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-8639 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Redhat Satellite

- [CVE-2024-7012](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-7012/): Puppet-foreman: an authentication bypass vulnerability exists in foreman (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-7923](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-7923/): Puppet-pulpcore: an authentication bypass vulnerability exists in pulpcore (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-96659](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-96659/): Foreman: excessive permissions for viewer role on preview (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2023-0118](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-0118/): Foreman: arbitrary code execution through templates (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2008-2369](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-2369/): Hardcoded credentials in n/a (critical 9.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-8639 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-8639 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Redhat Satellite, published on 1 Aug 2018. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-8639 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Redhat Satellite. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8639/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8639/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-8639
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-8639
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-8639

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8639/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.