CVE-2010-4590 in Lotus Mobile Connect
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in HTTP Access Services (HTTP-AS) in the Connection Manager in IBM Lotus Mobile Connect (LMC) before 6.1.4 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/08/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-4590 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM Lotus Mobile Connect's HTTP Access Services component. This weakness resides in the Connection Manager module of the software, which serves as a bridge between mobile devices and enterprise systems. The vulnerability affects all versions prior to 6.1.4 and enables remote attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected systems. The unspecified vectors suggest that the attack surface encompasses multiple potential entry points through which malicious payloads could be delivered, making the vulnerability particularly concerning from a security perspective.
This XSS vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security flaw that allows attackers to inject client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The specific nature of this vulnerability within IBM Lotus Mobile Connect's HTTP-AS component means that it operates at the interface level between mobile communication protocols and web-based management systems. The Connection Manager's role in facilitating connections between mobile devices and enterprise infrastructure creates a prime target for attackers seeking to exploit the trust relationship between authenticated users and the system components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user credentials, access restricted data, and potentially escalate privileges within the mobile communication environment. Mobile users who interact with the affected system may unknowingly execute malicious code when viewing compromised content, leading to unauthorized access to corporate resources and potential data breaches. The implications are particularly severe given that IBM Lotus Mobile Connect serves enterprise environments where mobile workers access sensitive business information, making this vulnerability a significant threat to organizational security postures.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including updating to IBM Lotus Mobile Connect version 6.1.4 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the XSS flaw. Additional protective measures include implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms, deploying web application firewalls, and conducting thorough security assessments of mobile communication systems. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering tactics through malicious web content, and organizations should consider implementing security awareness training to prevent users from inadvertently executing malicious payloads. Network segmentation and monitoring of mobile communication traffic can also help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Given the nature of the vulnerability, regular security testing and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in mobile infrastructure components and ensure comprehensive protection against evolving threats in the mobile enterprise space.