# CVE-2016-8999: Cross-site scripting in InfoSphere Information Server

> Attackers can inject malicious CSS via path-relative stylesheet imports, potentially leading to code execution in IBM InfoSphere Information Server.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.4 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 1 Feb 2017
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-2r9p-x5v3-jc5q

## What is CVE-2016-8999?

CVE-2016-8999 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Ibm Infosphere Information Server, published on 1 Feb 2017. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

IBM InfoSphere Information Server contains a Path-relative stylesheet import vulnerability that allows attackers to render a page in quirks mode thereby facilitating an attacker to inject malicious CSS.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-8999?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Ibm Infosphere Datastage, Ibm Infosphere Information Server, Ibm Infosphere Information Server on Cloud.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-8999?

No fix has been published for CVE-2016-8999 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2016-8999 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-8999 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Ibm Infosphere Information Server

- [CVE-2016-6059](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-6059/): XML external entity in InfoSphere Information Server (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2015-1900](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-1900/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2011-3123](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-3123/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2011-3124](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-3124/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2012-0701](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-0701/): Missing authorization in n/a (medium 6.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2016-8999 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-8999 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Ibm Infosphere Information Server, published on 1 Feb 2017. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-8999 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Ibm Infosphere Information Server. 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-2016-8999/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8999/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-8999
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-8999
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-8999

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8999/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.