CVE-2009-3816 in Lotus Connections
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Activities pages in the Mobile subsystem in IBM Lotus Connections 2.5.0.0 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/20/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-3816 represents a critical security flaw within IBM Lotus Connections 2.5.0.0 mobile subsystem, specifically affecting the Activities pages functionality. This issue stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it within web interfaces. The vulnerability classifies under CWE-79 as a cross-site scripting weakness, where malicious actors can exploit the system to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into user sessions. The affected mobile subsystem components demonstrate a fundamental failure in implementing proper security controls for web content handling, creating an attack surface that allows remote code execution through malicious web content injection.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through unspecified vectors that likely involve manipulation of parameters or input fields within the Activities pages functionality. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that, when processed by the vulnerable system, get executed within the context of other users' browsers. This type of vulnerability enables attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive information, redirect users to malicious websites, or execute unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. The mobile subsystem's failure to properly validate and encode user inputs creates persistent XSS vulnerabilities that can be triggered through various attack vectors including form submissions, URL parameters, or even cookie manipulation within the mobile interface context.
The operational impact of CVE-2009-3816 extends beyond simple data theft or session manipulation, as it represents a significant threat to the overall security posture of organizations using IBM Lotus Connections 2.5.0.0. The vulnerability allows attackers to compromise user sessions and potentially escalate privileges within the mobile collaboration environment, affecting not only individual user data but also organizational information shared through the activities functionality. This weakness directly violates security principles established by the OWASP Top Ten project, specifically targeting the XSS category that consistently ranks among the most prevalent web application vulnerabilities. The mobile subsystem's exposure creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited by attackers with minimal technical expertise, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where mobile collaboration is extensively used.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should encompass multiple layers of security controls including immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding mechanisms, proper sanitization of all user-supplied content, and deployment of web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. Organizations should implement proper content security policies and ensure that all user inputs are properly escaped before being rendered in web interfaces. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in the OWASP Secure Coding Practices and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.002 for command and scripting interpreter. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the Lotus Connections platform, while also implementing proper security monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should ensure that all mobile applications and subsystems undergo thorough security testing before deployment and maintain up-to-date security patches to address known vulnerabilities.