CVE-2009-5000 in FileNet P8 Application Engine
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the Workplace (aka WP) component in IBM FileNet P8 Application Engine (P8AE) 4.0.2.x before 4.0.2.3-P8AE-FP003 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified parameters to .jsp pages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/07/2018
The vulnerability CVE-2009-5000 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in IBM FileNet P8 Application Engine version 4.0.2.x prior to patch level 4.0.2.3-P8AE-FP003. This vulnerability affects the Workplace component, which serves as the primary user interface for managing document management workflows within the FileNet platform. The flaw exists in the handling of unspecified parameters within .jsp pages, creating an avenue for remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of authenticated user sessions. The vulnerability's severity is amplified by the fact that it impacts the core application engine component that handles document management and workflow processes, potentially allowing attackers to compromise user sessions and access sensitive enterprise data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the Workplace component's JSP pages. When users interact with the application through web interfaces, parameters are passed through HTTP requests to various .jsp endpoints that process these inputs without proper sanitization. This lack of input validation creates an environment where attacker-controlled data can be directly embedded into web responses, enabling the execution of malicious scripts in the victim's browser context. The vulnerability specifically affects the P8AE 4.0.2.x release line, indicating that IBM had not yet addressed this particular class of input validation issues in their security patches prior to the 4.0.2.3 release.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to enterprise document management systems. Attackers could leverage this weakness to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or inject content that could be used to harvest credentials from authenticated users. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as it could enable privilege escalation within the document management environment, potentially allowing unauthorized users to access restricted documents or modify workflow processes. The Workplace component's role as the primary user interface means that any successful exploitation would directly impact business operations and could lead to data breaches or process disruption. Organizations using this version of FileNet P8 would be particularly vulnerable as the attack surface includes all web-based interactions with the application engine.
Organizations should immediately implement the vendor-provided patch 4.0.2.3-P8AE-FP003 to remediate this vulnerability. Additionally, network segmentation and web application firewalls should be deployed to monitor and filter traffic to the affected .jsp endpoints. Security teams should conduct comprehensive penetration testing to identify any potential exploitation attempts and implement proper input validation controls throughout the application. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege in application security design. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1566.001 (Phishing via Social Media) and T1059.007 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript) as attackers could leverage this to establish persistent access through malicious JavaScript payloads. Organizations should also consider implementing browser security policies such as Content Security Policy headers to provide additional protection against script injection attacks.