Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
The affected Node.js module downloads ChromeDriver-related binary resources over unencrypted HTTP. If someone can intercept that network traffic, they may be able to replace the downloaded binary with a malicious one, potentially leading to code execution on the system installing or using the package.
Executive priority
Prioritize review if this package appears in CI or developer build systems, because compromise there can affect trusted artifacts. Urgency is lower than confirmed exploited internet-facing issues because the source requires network interception and gives no active exploitation evidence.
Technical view
CVE-2016-10623 affects all versions of the macaca-chromedriver-zxa Node module. The package downloads binary resources over HTTP, creating a CWE-311 cleartext transmission risk. The cited description says a network-positioned attacker could swap the binary and possibly cause RCE. No CVSS score, patch, or active exploitation evidence is provided.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in development, CI, build, or test environments that install or execute macaca-chromedriver-zxa. Production exposure depends on whether the module is installed or invoked there.
Exploitation context
The source describes a man-in-the-middle scenario. An attacker would need to be on the network path or otherwise positioned between the user and the remote server. The CVE is not listed as KEV in the supplied bundle.
Researcher notes
The key evidence is the HTTP binary download behavior and MITM-to-possible-RCE impact. The bundle names all versions as affected but does not provide a CVSS score, fixed version, proof of exploitation, or detailed remediation path.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory and remove macaca-chromedriver-zxa where it is not required.
- Check vendor or advisory guidance for any safe replacement or patched package.
- Prefer dependencies that fetch binaries over HTTPS and verify integrity.
- Run installs from trusted networks and controlled build environments.
- Treat affected CI or developer hosts as higher review priority.
Validation and detection
- Check dependency manifests and lockfiles for macaca-chromedriver-zxa.
- Identify whether the package is installed in CI, developer, or production environments.
- Review build processes for binary downloads over HTTP.
- Confirm whether any replacement package uses HTTPS and integrity checks.
- Document whether exposure is limited to non-production tooling.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-311: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2016-10623 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://nodesecurity.io/advisories/221CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data
Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.