CVE-2010-0785 in WebSphere Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Administrative Console in IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) 6.1 before 6.1.0.35 and 7.0 before 7.0.0.13 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of unspecified victims via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/27/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-0785 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within IBM WebSphere Application Server's Administrative Console. This weakness resides in the server's authentication handling mechanisms and affects versions 6.1 prior to 6.1.0.35 and 7.0 prior to 7.0.0.13. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate authenticated sessions through crafted requests that exploit the console's insufficient validation of origin requests. The vulnerability operates by tricking authenticated users into executing unintended actions against the web application without their knowledge or consent, effectively allowing unauthorized access to administrative functions.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms within the administrative console's request processing. IBM WebSphere Application Server's administrative interface fails to adequately verify the authenticity of requests originating from authorized users, creating an exploitable gap in the security model. Attackers can leverage this weakness by constructing malicious web pages or phishing campaigns that automatically submit requests to the vulnerable console, thereby hijacking existing user sessions. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests multiple potential exploitation pathways including direct web requests, embedded malicious content, or social engineering campaigns targeting administrators.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it compromises the fundamental integrity of the administrative console. Successful exploitation allows attackers to perform administrative functions such as user management, configuration changes, application deployment, and system monitoring without proper authorization. This represents a severe threat to enterprise security infrastructure since administrative consoles typically possess the highest level of system privileges and access to sensitive organizational data. The vulnerability essentially provides an attack surface that could enable complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or service disruption.
Organizations utilizing affected IBM WebSphere Application Server versions face significant risk exposure from this CSRF vulnerability. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation can occur without physical access to the system, making it particularly dangerous for distributed environments. Security teams must consider the potential for lateral movement within networks if attackers gain administrative access through this vector. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications, and represents a critical gap in the application's security controls. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1566.001 (Phishing) and T1078 (Valid Accounts) as attackers may use CSRF to exploit legitimate administrative sessions.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves applying the official IBM security patches and updates for both WebSphere Application Server 6.1 and 7.0 versions, specifically upgrading to 6.1.0.35 and 7.0.0.13 respectively. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures including browser security enhancements, web application firewalls, and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities. Network segmentation and privileged access controls can help limit the potential impact if exploitation occurs. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the application stack, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of comprehensive CSRF protection mechanisms in administrative interfaces.