CVE-2010-0778 in WebSphere Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Administration Console in IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) 6.1 before 6.1.0.33 and 7.0 before 7.0.0.11 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/01/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-0778 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM WebSphere Application Server Administration Console components. This security weakness affects versions 6.1 prior to 6.1.0.33 and 7.0 prior to 7.0.0.11, creating a significant attack surface that could be exploited by remote threat actors. The vulnerability specifically resides in the administrative interface of the application server, which serves as a critical management component for system configuration and monitoring operations. The Administration Console acts as a gateway for administrators to perform essential tasks including application deployment, server configuration changes, and system monitoring, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise the underlying application server infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the Administration Console's web interface. Attackers can leverage unspecified vectors to inject malicious script code or HTML content into the application's response handling mechanisms. This flaw allows unauthorized users to execute arbitrary web scripts within the context of other users' browsers who access the compromised administration console. The vulnerability operates at the presentation layer where user-supplied data is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to the browser, creating opportunities for malicious code execution. According to CWE classification, this represents a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability categorized under CWE-79, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of input during web page generation.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-0778 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it provides attackers with potential access to critical administrative functions within the WebSphere environment. Successful exploitation could enable attackers to escalate privileges, modify server configurations, deploy malicious applications, or exfiltrate sensitive information from the application server. The remote nature of the attack vector means that adversaries do not require physical access or local network presence to exploit this vulnerability, significantly expanding the potential attack surface. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566.001 for credential access through social engineering, as attackers could use the XSS payload to capture administrator credentials or redirect users to malicious sites. The compromised Administration Console could serve as a persistent backdoor for long-term access to the entire application server infrastructure.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through official IBM security patches and updates for both WebSphere Application Server versions 6.1 and 7.0. The patching process should include thorough testing in staging environments to ensure compatibility with existing applications and configurations. Additionally, implementing proper input validation mechanisms at the application level, including HTML escaping and content security policies, can provide defense-in-depth measures. Network segmentation and access controls should be reinforced to limit exposure of the Administration Console to trusted networks only. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly around administrative access and configuration change activities. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing comprehensive security controls that address both application-level and network-level threats in enterprise application server environments.