CVE-2006-6537 in WebSphere Host On-Demand
Summary
by MITRE
IBM WebSphere Host On-Demand 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, and possibly 10, allows remote attackers to bypass authentication via a modified pnl parameter, related to hod/HODAdmin.html and hod/frameset.html.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/11/2019
IBM WebSphere Host On-Demand versions 6.0 through 9.0 and potentially 10.0 contain a critical authentication bypass vulnerability that stems from improper input validation in the pnl parameter handling within the administrative interfaces hod/HODAdmin.html and hod/frameset.html. This flaw enables remote attackers to circumvent the authentication mechanisms by crafting malicious requests that modify the pnl parameter, effectively allowing unauthorized access to administrative functions without proper credentials. The vulnerability resides in the application's failure to properly validate and sanitize user-supplied input parameters, creating a pathway for attackers to manipulate the application's behavior and gain elevated privileges. This issue directly maps to CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization in authentication systems, and represents a significant weakness in the application's access control implementation. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it operates entirely over network communication, requiring no local access or prior authentication, making it highly exploitable in remote attack scenarios. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to modify administrative settings, access sensitive data, or potentially disrupt service availability.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves manipulating the pnl parameter within the URL structure of the affected administrative interfaces. When an attacker submits a request with a modified pnl parameter value, the application fails to properly validate this input against expected parameter values or access control lists. This validation failure creates a condition where arbitrary parameter values can be accepted and processed, effectively allowing attackers to bypass the normal authentication flow and directly access administrative functions. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input sanitization practices and inadequate parameter validation, which are fundamental security controls that should prevent such manipulation. From an attack perspective, this flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers valid accounts obtained through exploitation of remote services, and T1566, which involves phishing attacks that could leverage this vulnerability to gain initial access. The lack of proper parameter validation creates a direct path for attackers to escalate privileges through the application's own interface mechanisms, making the attack surface particularly dangerous.
Organizations utilizing IBM WebSphere Host On-Demand versions within the affected range face significant operational risks from this vulnerability. The authentication bypass allows attackers to gain administrative access to the application's configuration and management interfaces, potentially leading to complete system compromise. This vulnerability could be exploited by attackers to modify user permissions, access sensitive host connections, or manipulate the application's operational parameters. The impact on business continuity could be severe, as unauthorized access to administrative functions might enable attackers to disrupt services, steal sensitive data, or establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure. Security teams must consider the potential for lateral movement within the network if the compromised application has access to other systems or resources. The vulnerability's presence in multiple versions of the application suggests a systemic issue in the authentication implementation that requires immediate attention and remediation across all affected deployments.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching and configuration hardening measures. Organizations should prioritize applying the official IBM security patches released for this vulnerability, as these updates will contain the necessary code modifications to properly validate and sanitize the pnl parameter input. Until patches are applied, network-level mitigations should be implemented including firewall rules that restrict access to the affected administrative interfaces to trusted IP addresses only. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls with custom rules to detect and block malicious pnl parameter values can provide temporary protection. The security configuration should include disabling unnecessary administrative interfaces and implementing multi-factor authentication where possible. Regular security assessments should be conducted to verify that parameter validation is functioning correctly and that no other similar vulnerabilities exist within the application's codebase. Monitoring and logging of administrative access attempts should be enhanced to detect any exploitation attempts, and incident response procedures should be updated to include this specific vulnerability as a potential attack vector. The remediation process should also involve reviewing and strengthening the application's overall input validation mechanisms to prevent similar issues from occurring in other parts of the system.