CVE-2010-2636 in WebSphere Commerce
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in sample store pages in IBM WebSphere Commerce 7.0 before 7.0.0.1 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/02/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-2636 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting IBM WebSphere Commerce 7.0 before version 7.0.0.1. This issue manifests in the sample store pages that are typically included with the WebSphere Commerce platform, making it particularly concerning for organizations that may have these demonstration components deployed in production environments. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web application's handling of user-supplied URL parameters, creating an attack surface that can be exploited by remote threat actors without requiring authentication or privileged access.
The technical flaw resides in the improper sanitization of URL parameters that are processed by the sample store pages. When users navigate to specific URLs containing crafted malicious payloads, the application fails to adequately encode or escape special characters in the input data before rendering it in the web response. This allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute within the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of victims. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')", which is a fundamental web application security weakness that has been consistently identified as one of the most prevalent and dangerous vulnerabilities in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to establish persistent malicious presence within the application environment. Remote attackers can leverage these XSS vulnerabilities to redirect users to malicious websites, steal sensitive session cookies, or manipulate the web application's functionality. The sample store pages, being publicly accessible components, provide an ideal entry point for attackers to gain initial access to the system. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for "Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment" and T1566.002 for "Phishing: Spearphishing Link", as attackers can craft malicious URLs that appear legitimate to users but contain the XSS payloads designed to compromise user sessions or steal sensitive information.
Organizations utilizing IBM WebSphere Commerce 7.0 should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of the official IBM security patches available for version 7.0.0.1 and subsequent releases. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive input validation across all user-supplied parameters, implementation of proper output encoding mechanisms, and regular security assessments of all web application components including demonstration pages. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional layers of protection against similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of securing all application components, including sample or demonstration pages, as these are often overlooked during security assessments but can provide significant attack vectors when deployed in production environments.