CVE-2011-3577 in WebSphere Commerce
Summary
by MITRE
IBM WebSphere Commerce 6.x through 6.0.0.11 and 7.x through 7.0.0.3 does not properly implement Activity Token authentication for Web Services, which has unspecified impact and attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/24/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-3577 affects IBM WebSphere Commerce versions 6.x through 6.0.0.11 and 7.x through 7.0.0.3, representing a critical weakness in the platform's web services authentication mechanism. This issue stems from the improper implementation of Activity Token authentication, which serves as a fundamental security control for verifying user identity and authorization within the commerce platform's service-oriented architecture. The flaw exists at the core of how the system validates service requests, potentially allowing unauthorized access to sensitive commerce functions and data through manipulated authentication tokens.
The technical implementation flaw manifests in the inadequate validation and handling of Activity Tokens within the WebSphere Commerce web services framework. Activity Tokens are designed to provide temporary authentication credentials that enable secure service invocation between different components of the commerce platform. When these tokens are not properly validated, attackers can exploit the weakness to bypass authentication mechanisms and gain access to protected resources. This vulnerability specifically impacts the authentication flow where the system fails to properly verify the token's integrity, expiration, or authorization scope, creating potential attack vectors through token manipulation or replay attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, potentially enabling attackers to execute a wide range of malicious activities within the commerce environment. Attackers could leverage this weakness to perform unauthorized transactions, access customer data, modify product catalogs, manipulate order processing, and potentially escalate privileges within the system. The unspecified nature of the impact and attack vectors suggests that the vulnerability could be exploited in multiple ways depending on the specific configuration and deployment of the WebSphere Commerce platform, making it particularly dangerous as it allows for various exploitation techniques.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues in software systems. The flaw represents a classic case of insufficient authentication validation where the system fails to properly verify the legitimacy of authentication tokens before granting access to protected resources. The attack surface for this vulnerability is particularly concerning given that WebSphere Commerce platforms typically handle sensitive financial and customer data, making them attractive targets for cybercriminals. Organizations using affected versions should consider this vulnerability in their threat modeling and incident response planning.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-3577 should prioritize immediate patching of affected IBM WebSphere Commerce versions to the latest security releases that address the Activity Token authentication implementation. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring and logging mechanisms to detect potential exploitation attempts through unusual authentication patterns or unauthorized access attempts. Network segmentation and access control measures can help limit the potential impact if exploitation occurs, while regular security assessments should verify that authentication mechanisms function correctly. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper authentication implementation and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of web service interfaces, particularly in enterprise commerce platforms where data integrity and user privacy are paramount considerations.