CVE-2013-0576 in Tivoli Monitoring
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Tivoli Enterprise Portal browser client in IBM Tivoli Monitoring 6.2.0 through FP03, 6.2.1 through FP04, 6.2.2 through FP09, and 6.2.3 through FP02 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/18/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-0576 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM Tivoli Monitoring's Tivoli Enterprise Portal browser client component. This security weakness affects multiple versions of the monitoring platform including 6.2.0 through FP03, 6.2.1 through FP04, 6.2.2 through FP09, and 6.2.3 through FP02, creating a significant attack surface for malicious actors seeking to exploit web application vulnerabilities. The flaw resides in the browser client implementation that processes user input without proper sanitization or validation mechanisms, enabling unauthorized code execution within the context of authenticated user sessions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the Tivoli Enterprise Portal's web interface components. Attackers can leverage this weakness through unspecified vectors to inject malicious JavaScript code or HTML content that gets executed in the victim's browser when they access affected pages. The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws, where improperly filtered input allows attackers to execute scripts in the victim's browser context. This particular implementation allows remote attackers to bypass traditional security controls and establish persistent malicious presence within the monitoring environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-0576 extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with potential access to sensitive monitoring data and system functionalities. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain access to confidential performance metrics, system configurations, and other monitoring data that would otherwise be restricted to authorized personnel. The attack vector enables privilege escalation scenarios where malicious scripts could manipulate monitoring dashboards, redirect users to phishing sites, or harvest session cookies for further exploitation. This vulnerability particularly impacts enterprise environments where Tivoli Monitoring serves as a critical infrastructure component for system oversight and performance management.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patch deployment and enhanced input validation controls. Organizations must prioritize applying the relevant IBM security fixes and hotfixes that address the specific XSS implementation flaws within the Tivoli Enterprise Portal browser client. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional defensive layers to detect and block malicious script injection attempts. The implementation of content security policies and proper output encoding mechanisms should be enforced across all portal interfaces to prevent unauthorized script execution. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of the monitoring environment to identify potential secondary impacts from this vulnerability, ensuring that access controls remain robust and that no additional attack vectors exist within the broader Tivoli Monitoring ecosystem. This remediation approach aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for scripting and T1566 for credential access through web application attacks, emphasizing the need for layered defensive measures.