CVE-2013-0467 in Data Studio
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Eclipse Help System (IEHS), as used in IBM Data Studio 3.1 and 3.1.1 and other products, allows remote authenticated users to read source code via a crafted URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/29/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-0467 affects the IBM Eclipse Help System component within IBM Data Studio versions 3.1 and 3.1.1, representing a critical information disclosure flaw that enables remote authenticated attackers to access sensitive source code files. This vulnerability resides within the help system's URL handling mechanism, where improper input validation allows maliciously crafted URLs to traverse the file system and retrieve unauthorized source code content. The issue stems from insufficient sanitization of user-supplied URL parameters, creating a path traversal condition that can be exploited by authenticated users who possess valid credentials to access the affected system. The vulnerability specifically impacts the Eclipse Help System's ability to properly validate and restrict file access paths, allowing attackers to bypass normal access controls and retrieve files that should remain protected within the application's directory structure.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an authenticated user context, meaning that attackers must first establish valid credentials to access the system before attempting to craft malicious URLs. The flaw manifests when the help system processes URLs containing directory traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\ that are designed to navigate up the file system hierarchy. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-22 category for Path Traversal, which represents a well-established class of vulnerabilities where attackers can manipulate file access paths to gain unauthorized access to files outside of the intended directory structure. The attack vector specifically leverages the help system's URL parsing logic, which fails to properly validate or sanitize input parameters before processing them, creating an opportunity for attackers to access sensitive files including source code, configuration files, and potentially other system resources. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where development tools often contain sensitive intellectual property and proprietary code that should remain protected from unauthorized access.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-0467 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the exposure of source code can provide attackers with detailed insights into application architecture, implementation logic, and potential security weaknesses that could be exploited in subsequent attacks. This vulnerability compromises the confidentiality of sensitive source code assets that may contain proprietary algorithms, business logic, or implementation details that could be valuable to competitors or malicious actors seeking to understand the system's inner workings. The authenticated nature of the attack means that the vulnerability could be exploited by insiders or compromised accounts, potentially leading to more severe consequences including intellectual property theft, reverse engineering of proprietary code, or the identification of additional vulnerabilities within the system. Organizations using affected versions of IBM Data Studio face significant risk of exposure to competitive intelligence theft and potential system compromise through the exploitation of this vulnerability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-0467 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems with the vendor-provided security updates, as IBM released fixes specifically addressing this vulnerability in subsequent releases of the Eclipse Help System. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the exposure of affected systems to untrusted networks, while also enforcing strict authentication mechanisms and monitoring for suspicious URL access patterns. The remediation approach should include comprehensive vulnerability scanning to identify all instances of the affected software across the enterprise environment, along with the implementation of web application firewalls or similar protective measures that can detect and block malicious URL traversal attempts. Additionally, security awareness training for developers and administrators should emphasize the importance of proper input validation and the potential consequences of inadequate URL sanitization in web-based applications. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of validating all user inputs and implementing proper access controls, aligning with ATT&CK framework techniques related to privilege escalation and credential access through software exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing automated monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous file access patterns or attempts to traverse directory structures that may indicate exploitation attempts against similar vulnerabilities.