Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This CVE affects the windows-iedriver Node module, which downloaded the Internet Explorer driver binary over unencrypted HTTP. A network-positioned attacker could replace that download with a malicious binary, potentially leading to code execution on developer or build systems.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation if the package appears in build pipelines or developer environments, because compromise there can affect shipped software. If absent, record the finding as not exposed and monitor vendor guidance.
Technical view
The issue is CWE-311: sensitive resource retrieval without encryption. The affected module downloads a fixed iedriverserver.exe resource over HTTP, allowing man-in-the-middle tampering when an attacker can intercept traffic between the user and remote server.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in legacy JavaScript projects, CI jobs, or developer workstations that install or use the windows-iedriver Node module. The source bundle says all versions are affected, but does not name affected transitive dependency paths.
Exploitation context
The source bundle describes possible RCE through binary substitution by an attacker on the network path. It does not provide evidence of active exploitation, and the CVE is not listed as KEV in the provided data.
Researcher notes
The public bundle provides limited detail: no CVSS vector, no named patched version, and one advisory reference. Treat the RCE claim as conditional on network-path control and binary execution during installation or use.
Mitigation direction
- Check vendor or advisory guidance for a supported replacement or remediation.
- Remove windows-iedriver where it is no longer required.
- Avoid installing it over untrusted or interceptable networks.
- Use trusted package mirrors and verified build artifacts where available.
- Review CI and developer systems that installed the package historically.
Validation and detection
- Search dependency manifests and lockfiles for windows-iedriver.
- Check CI build logs for historical windows-iedriver installation.
- Confirm whether any build step downloads iedriverserver.exe over HTTP.
- Inventory developer or automation hosts that used the affected module.
- Document findings and residual risk if the package remains required.
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-2016-10689 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/293CVE 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.