CVE-2006-4222 in WebSphere Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in IBM WebSphere Application Server before 6.0.2.13 have unspecified vectors and impact, including (1) an "authority problem" in ThreadIdentitySupport as identified by PK25199, and "Potential security exposure" issues as identified by (2) PK22747, (3) PK24334, (4) PK25740, and (5) PK26123.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/18/2025
The vulnerability identified in IBM WebSphere Application Server version 6.0.2.13 represents a critical security concern affecting multiple components within the application server framework. This issue encompasses several unspecified but significant security flaws that collectively undermine the integrity and confidentiality of applications deployed on the platform. The vulnerabilities were discovered and documented through various internal IBM security assessments, with specific references to multiple security notices including PK25199, PK22747, PK24334, PK25740, and PK26123, indicating the severity and breadth of the affected components.
The core technical flaw manifests in the ThreadIdentitySupport component where an authority problem exists that could potentially allow unauthorized access to system resources. This particular vulnerability classified as PK25199 demonstrates how thread-level security controls can be compromised, creating pathways for malicious actors to escalate privileges or gain access to sensitive data. The unspecified vectors suggest that attackers could exploit these weaknesses through various attack surfaces within the application server architecture, potentially including authentication bypasses, privilege escalation, or unauthorized data access.
The broader impact of these vulnerabilities extends beyond simple access control issues, as the multiple security exposure problems identified through PK22747, PK24334, PK25740, and PK26123 indicate systemic weaknesses in the server's security architecture. These issues likely affect the server's ability to properly authenticate users, maintain session integrity, and enforce access controls across different application components. The potential security exposure aspects could enable attackers to manipulate application behavior, access confidential information, or disrupt service availability through various attack vectors that exploit the underlying architectural flaws.
From an operational standpoint, these vulnerabilities pose significant risks to organizations relying on IBM WebSphere Application Server for critical business applications. The unspecified nature of the exact attack vectors means that administrators cannot fully predict how these vulnerabilities might be exploited, making them particularly dangerous in production environments where application availability and data protection are paramount. Organizations using affected versions of WebSphere Application Server face potential data breaches, unauthorized access to sensitive applications, and possible system compromise that could affect multiple applications running on the same server instance.
The security implications of these vulnerabilities align with common attack patterns identified in the attack mitigation framework, particularly those involving privilege escalation and access control bypass techniques. According to industry standards such as CWE classification, these issues likely map to categories involving improper access control, insufficient authorization checks, and security configuration weaknesses. The presence of multiple vulnerabilities suggests a systemic issue in how the application server handles security contexts and thread management, which could be exploited in conjunction to create more sophisticated attack scenarios. Organizations should implement immediate patch management procedures to address these vulnerabilities, while also conducting thorough security assessments of their WebSphere environments to identify any potential exploitation that may have occurred before the patches were applied.
The remediation strategy should include immediate deployment of the IBM WebSphere Application Server 6.0.2.13 update, which contains the necessary security fixes for the identified vulnerabilities. System administrators should also perform comprehensive security reviews of their application server configurations, particularly focusing on thread management settings and access control policies. Additional monitoring and logging should be implemented to detect any anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts, and network segmentation strategies should be considered to limit potential damage from successful attacks. The vulnerabilities identified in this CVE represent a critical security gap that requires immediate attention to maintain the integrity of enterprise application environments.