CVE-2008-4805 in Lotus Connections
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in IBM Lotus Connections 2.x before 2.0.1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) the community title, (2) API input, and vectors related to the (3) Homepage, (4) Blogs, (5) Profiles, (6) Dogear, (7) Activities, and (8) Global Search components. NOTE: the provenance of this information is unknown; the details are obtained solely from third party information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/03/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-4805 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness in IBM Lotus Connections 2.x versions prior to 2.0.1. This vulnerability affects multiple core components of the social collaboration platform, creating widespread exposure across various user-facing modules. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it within web pages. Security researchers have classified this as a persistent XSS vulnerability under CWE-79, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of input during web page generation. The vulnerability exists in the community title field, API input handling, and several key application components including Homepage, Blogs, Profiles, Dogear, Activities, and Global Search functionalities.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when remote attackers submit malicious script code through any of the affected input vectors. When the application processes these inputs without adequate sanitization, the injected scripts execute in the context of other users' browsers who view the compromised content. This creates a chain reaction where legitimate users unknowingly execute malicious code, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized data manipulation. The attack vector operates through HTTP requests that carry specially crafted payloads designed to bypass the application's security controls. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond individual components since the same sanitization failure affects multiple modules, amplifying the potential attack surface and making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where Lotus Connections serves as a central collaboration platform.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations using IBM Lotus Connections, as it enables attackers to compromise user sessions and potentially gain access to sensitive corporate information. The affected components represent core functionality areas where users regularly input personal and business-related data, making the attack surface particularly valuable to threat actors. The vulnerability's presence in API input handling suggests that automated attacks could be launched through programmatic interfaces, increasing the attack velocity and reducing the likelihood of detection. Organizations utilizing this platform would face potential data breaches, unauthorized access to collaboration spaces, and possible escalation to more severe security incidents. The attack could result in unauthorized modification of user profiles, posting of malicious content, or redirection to phishing sites that could compromise additional systems within the enterprise network.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all affected components. Organizations should immediately upgrade to IBM Lotus Connections 2.0.1 or later versions where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper sanitization controls. Security teams should implement web application firewalls with XSS detection capabilities and establish robust content security policies that prevent execution of unauthorized scripts. Additionally, regular security testing including dynamic application security testing and manual penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. The remediation process should also include user education regarding the risks of clicking suspicious links or visiting untrusted sites within the collaboration environment. Organizations should consider implementing the principle of least privilege for application components and establish monitoring procedures to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect enterprise collaboration platforms from sophisticated web-based attacks.