CVE-2010-3897 in OmniFind
Summary
by MITRE
ESSearchApplication/palette.do in IBM OmniFind Enterprise Edition 8.x and 9.x includes the administrator password in the HTML source code, which might allow remote attackers to obtain sensitive information by leveraging read access to this file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-3897 affects IBM OmniFind Enterprise Edition versions 8.x and 9.x, specifically targeting the ESSearchApplication/palette.do component. This flaw represents a critical information disclosure vulnerability that exposes administrative credentials within the HTML source code of the web application. The issue stems from improper access control mechanisms that fail to adequately protect sensitive configuration data, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on this enterprise search platform.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through the web application's response handling where the administrator password is inadvertently embedded in the HTML output generated by the palette.do servlet. This occurs when the application renders its user interface components without proper sanitization of sensitive parameters or without implementing appropriate access controls to restrict view access to privileged information. The flaw falls under CWE-200, Information Exposure, and represents a classic case of insecure direct object reference where sensitive data is exposed through improper access control. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows remote attackers to obtain administrative credentials simply by accessing the specific URL endpoint and examining the HTML source code, requiring no authentication or privileged access to the system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential exposure, as it fundamentally undermines the security posture of the entire OmniFind Enterprise Edition deployment. Once attackers obtain the administrator password, they gain full control over the search application, including the ability to modify search configurations, access indexed content, manipulate user permissions, and potentially escalate privileges to system-level access. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1566, "Phishing", as it enables attackers to obtain credentials through information disclosure rather than social engineering, and T1078, "Valid Accounts", by providing legitimate administrative access. Organizations may face significant consequences including data breaches, unauthorized access to sensitive information, and potential compliance violations if their search applications contain confidential data.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action to address the root cause through proper access control implementation and code review processes. Organizations should implement authentication checks to ensure that privileged information is only accessible to authorized administrative users, and should consider implementing input validation and output sanitization to prevent sensitive data from being embedded in HTML responses. The recommended approach involves modifying the palette.do servlet to enforce proper access controls, removing or encrypting sensitive parameters from HTML output, and implementing comprehensive logging to detect unauthorized access attempts. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security assessments of their web applications to identify similar information disclosure vulnerabilities and ensure that all sensitive data is properly protected through appropriate security controls. The fix should align with security best practices outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST SP 800-53, particularly focusing on access control and information protection requirements to prevent unauthorized disclosure of sensitive system information.