CVE-2011-2172 in WebSphere Portal
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the search center in IBM WebSphere Portal 7.0.0.1 before CF004 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/24/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2172 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM WebSphere Portal 7.0.0.1, specifically affecting the search center functionality. This issue falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a fundamental web application security weakness that enables attackers to inject malicious client-side scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability exists in the search center component of the portal platform, making it a significant concern for organizations relying on IBM WebSphere Portal for their enterprise web applications.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the search center functionality. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that are then executed in the context of other users' browsers when they interact with the affected portal interface. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple entry points within the search center could be leveraged for injection attacks, potentially including search parameters, query strings, or user input fields. This lack of specificity in the vulnerability description indicates a broad attack surface that could be exploited through various means within the portal's search functionality.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it could enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user data, manipulate portal content, or redirect users to malicious websites. In enterprise environments where IBM WebSphere Portal serves as a central collaboration and information management platform, such an attack could compromise user credentials, access confidential business information, or disrupt critical portal operations. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors do not require physical access to the system or local network privileges to exploit this vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in publicly accessible portal environments.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of IBM's recommended security fixes and patches. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution risk necessitates urgent attention, as it could be exploited by attackers from anywhere on the internet. Security teams should implement additional protective measures such as web application firewalls, input validation rules, and output encoding controls to mitigate potential exploitation attempts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1059.007 technique for script injection, highlighting the need for comprehensive defensive strategies including regular security assessments, user education on recognizing phishing attempts, and monitoring for suspicious search queries or user behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.