CVE-2011-2173 in WebSphere Portal
Summary
by MITRE
The implementation of OutputMediator objects in IBM WebSphere Portal 6.0.1.7, and 7.0.0.1 before CF002, allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) via requests.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/30/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2173 represents a significant security flaw in IBM WebSphere Portal software versions 6.0.1.7 and 7.0.0.1 before cumulative fix CF002. This issue specifically targets the OutputMediator objects within the portal framework, which serve as critical components responsible for managing and delivering content to end users. The vulnerability enables remote authenticated attackers to exploit a memory consumption flaw that can lead to denial of service conditions, effectively disrupting legitimate user access to portal services.
The technical implementation flaw resides in how OutputMediator objects handle incoming requests within the IBM WebSphere Portal environment. When authenticated users submit specially crafted requests to the portal system, the vulnerable implementation fails to properly manage memory allocation and resource cleanup processes. This improper handling causes the system to consume excessive memory resources over time, leading to gradual performance degradation and eventually complete system unresponsiveness. The vulnerability operates through a memory leak pattern where allocated memory is not properly released back to the system, creating a cumulative effect that worsens with continued exploitation.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses a serious threat to enterprise portal environments that rely heavily on IBM WebSphere Portal for business-critical applications. The denial of service condition can affect multiple users simultaneously, potentially disrupting business operations and causing significant downtime. Organizations using these vulnerable versions may experience cascading effects where legitimate user requests fail due to resource exhaustion, leading to customer dissatisfaction and potential revenue loss. The authenticated nature of the attack means that attackers must first establish valid credentials, but once inside the system, they can cause substantial damage without requiring privileged access.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption" as a fundamental weakness in software design. This classification reflects the core issue where the system fails to properly manage resource allocation and deallocation, leading to gradual resource depletion. From the MITRE ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the "Resource Exhaustion" technique under the Execution tactics category, where adversaries consume system resources to prevent legitimate use. The attack requires minimal privileges and can be executed remotely, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that do not maintain proper network segmentation or monitoring controls.
Organizations should immediately implement the vendor-provided cumulative fix CF002 for IBM WebSphere Portal 7.0.0.1 and ensure all systems running version 6.0.1.7 are updated accordingly. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual memory consumption patterns and abnormal request volumes that may indicate exploitation attempts. Access controls should be reviewed to ensure that only authorized users can submit requests to portal components, and regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other enterprise applications. Additionally, implementing automated memory monitoring and alerting systems can help detect and respond to exploitation attempts before they cause significant disruption to business operations.