CVE-2007-5798 in WebSphere Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in uddigui/navigateTree.do in the UDDI user console in IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) before 6.1.0 Fix Pack 13 (6.1.0.13) allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) keyField, (2) nameField, (3) valueField, and (4) frameReturn parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/29/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-5798 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness in IBM WebSphere Application Server's UDDI user console component. This flaw exists in the navigateTree.do servlet within the uddigui directory structure and affects versions prior to 6.1.0 Fix Pack 13. The UDDI (Universal Description Discovery and Integration) console serves as a management interface for registering and discovering web services within the application server environment, making it a potentially attractive target for attackers seeking to compromise the server infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the UDDI console's parameter handling mechanism. Attackers can exploit four specific parameters - keyField, nameField, valueField, and frameReturn - to inject malicious JavaScript code or HTML content directly into the web application's response. These parameters are processed without adequate sanitization or encoding, allowing malicious payloads to be executed within the context of authenticated users' browsers. The vulnerability manifests as a classic reflected XSS attack where the malicious input is immediately reflected back to the user without proper security filtering.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks within the application server environment. An attacker could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users with the privileges of the compromised session. Given that the UDDI console typically requires administrative access, successful exploitation could provide attackers with elevated privileges to manipulate service registries, potentially disrupting service discovery mechanisms or gaining unauthorized access to sensitive business services. The vulnerability's presence in the management console also means that successful exploitation could lead to broader system compromise.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the available fix pack 6.1.0.13 from IBM, which contains the necessary patches to address the XSS flaws in the UDDI console. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit access to the UDDI console to only authorized personnel, while web application firewalls can provide additional protection layers. Input validation should be strengthened at all entry points, particularly focusing on the four vulnerable parameters identified in the vulnerability. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which describes cross-site scripting flaws, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through malicious web content, highlighting the importance of proper input sanitization and output encoding in web applications.