CVE-2012-4853 in WebSphere Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in IBM WebSphere Application Server 6.1 before 6.1.0.45, 7.0 before 7.0.0.25, 8.0 before 8.0.0.5, and 8.5 before 8.5.0.1 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users for requests that trigger information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/19/2021
The CVE-2012-4853 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw affecting multiple versions of IBM WebSphere Application Server. This vulnerability resides in the server's authentication handling mechanisms and enables remote attackers to exploit user sessions through carefully crafted malicious requests. The flaw specifically impacts IBM WebSphere Application Server versions 6.1 prior to 6.1.0.45, 7.0 prior to 7.0.0.25, 8.0 prior to 8.0.0.5, and 8.5 prior to 8.5.0.1, creating a widespread security concern across enterprise web applications. The vulnerability allows attackers to hijack user authentication and execute unauthorized operations with the privileges of authenticated users.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms within the WebSphere application server framework. When users authenticate to the WebSphere server, their session tokens become vulnerable to manipulation through malicious websites or web pages that can trigger authenticated requests without user consent. The flaw operates by exploiting the browser's automatic inclusion of cookies and authentication headers when making cross-site requests, effectively allowing attackers to perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. This particular implementation does not require the attacker to know the victim's specific credentials or session identifiers directly.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to include significant information disclosure risks that can compromise entire enterprise systems. Attackers can leverage this flaw to extract sensitive data, modify user permissions, access restricted administrative functions, and potentially escalate privileges within the application server environment. The vulnerability's ability to trigger information disclosure makes it particularly dangerous for organizations handling confidential business data, personal information, or financial records. Security researchers have classified this issue under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities, and it aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for Initial Access through spearphishing attachments.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including deploying the vendor-provided security patches for each affected WebSphere version, enabling robust anti-CSRF token mechanisms, and configuring proper request origin validation. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional protection layers, while security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual authentication patterns or unauthorized data access attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing comprehensive security controls across enterprise application infrastructure, particularly in environments where WebSphere servers handle sensitive business operations and user authentication processes.