CVE-2008-4809 in Lotus Connections
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in the Profiles search pages in IBM Lotus Connections 2.x before 2.0.1 have unknown impact and attack vectors related to "Active" content. 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 • 11/25/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-4809 affects IBM Lotus Connections 2.x versions prior to 2.0.1, specifically targeting the Profiles search pages functionality. This issue falls under the category of web application security flaws that can potentially allow unauthorized access or manipulation of user data through maliciously crafted content. The vulnerability is classified as a generic weakness in web application security, with the specific impact being related to active content execution within the search functionality.
The technical flaw manifests in the handling of active content within the Profiles search pages of IBM Lotus Connections. Active content refers to code or scripts that can be executed by web browsers when rendered, including javascript, applets, or other executable elements. The vulnerability occurs when the application fails to properly sanitize or validate user input within the search functionality, allowing attackers to inject malicious code that gets executed when other users view the search results. This represents a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability pattern where the application treats user-supplied data as executable content rather than safe text.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on behalf of other users, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or complete system compromise. The unknown attack vectors and impact details indicate that this vulnerability could be leveraged in multiple ways including but not limited to stealing user credentials, modifying profile information, or redirecting users to malicious websites. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of IBM Lotus Connections which is used for enterprise social networking and collaboration, making it particularly dangerous in corporate environments where sensitive business information is shared.
Based on the nature of this vulnerability and similar patterns found in the CWE database, this represents a weakness in the validation and sanitization of user-supplied input. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which describes Cross-Site Scripting flaws, and potentially CWE-20 which covers improper input validation. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving command and control communications and credential access through malicious code execution. The attack surface is expanded by the fact that this affects a search functionality that is likely to be frequently used and accessed by multiple users within an organization.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of their IBM Lotus Connections installations to version 2.0.1 or later. The mitigation strategy should include implementing proper input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied content within the search functionality. Network segmentation and monitoring for suspicious traffic patterns related to search queries should be implemented as additional defensive measures. Security teams should also conduct thorough reviews of all web applications to identify similar input validation weaknesses, particularly in areas where user-generated content is processed and displayed. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing comprehensive input sanitization practices to prevent exploitation of such weaknesses in enterprise collaboration platforms.