CVE-2011-1319 in WebSphere Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
The Security component in IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) 6.1.0.x before 6.1.0.35 and 7.x before 7.0.0.15 allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) by using a Lightweight Third-Party Authentication (LTPA) token for authentication.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1319 resides within IBM WebSphere Application Server's Security component, specifically affecting versions 6.1.0.x prior to 6.1.0.35 and 7.x prior to 7.0.0.15. This issue represents a significant security flaw that enables remote authenticated attackers to execute a denial of service attack through manipulation of Lightweight Third-Party Authentication tokens. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and leverages the authentication mechanism to consume excessive system resources, ultimately leading to system instability and service unavailability. The affected environment typically includes enterprise applications that rely on WebSphere for their security infrastructure, making this a critical concern for organizations with substantial web application deployments.
The technical flaw manifests through improper handling of LTPA tokens during the authentication process, where the system fails to adequately validate or limit the resource consumption associated with these tokens. When an authenticated user submits a maliciously crafted LTPA token, the WebSphere server processes this token in a manner that causes progressive memory allocation without proper cleanup or resource limits. This behavior creates a memory leak scenario where the server's heap memory gradually fills up, eventually leading to out-of-memory exceptions and application server crashes. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires only authenticated access, meaning that attackers who have legitimate credentials can exploit this weakness to disrupt services without requiring additional privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can lead to complete application server failure and affect multiple concurrent users. Organizations utilizing WebSphere Application Server in production environments face the risk of extended downtime, degraded performance, and potential data loss during the denial of service events. The memory consumption pattern typically progresses slowly enough that administrators might not immediately detect the issue, allowing the attack to continue undetected for extended periods. This vulnerability particularly affects high-traffic applications where the authentication system is heavily utilized, making the impact more severe in environments with numerous concurrent users or automated authentication processes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-1319 primarily involve applying the official security patches released by IBM, specifically the updates to versions 6.1.0.35 and 7.0.0.15. Organizations should also implement monitoring solutions that track memory usage patterns and authentication token processing to detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and access control measures can help limit the potential impact by restricting which authenticated users can access vulnerable components. Additionally, implementing rate limiting on authentication requests and establishing memory monitoring alerts can provide early detection capabilities. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses unrestricted resource consumption, and represents a concern for ATT&CK technique T1499, specifically the exploitation of resource consumption vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing automated patch management processes to ensure timely deployment of security updates across all WebSphere instances.