CVE-2013-0582 in Tivoli Federated Identity Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM Tivoli Federated Identity Manager (TFIM) 6.2.0 before 6.2.0.12, 6.2.1 before 6.2.1.5, and 6.2.2 before 6.2.2.4 and Tivoli Federated Identity Manager Business Gateway (TFIMBG) 6.2.0 before 6.2.0.12 and 6.2.1 before 6.2.1.5 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted URL that triggers a SAML 2.0 response.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/07/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-0582 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM Tivoli Federated Identity Manager versions prior to specific patch levels, affecting both the core TFIM platform and its Business Gateway component. This weakness arises from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the SAML 2.0 response processing functionality, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts in the context of affected systems. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the system processes crafted URLs that contain malicious payloads within SAML 2.0 responses, enabling attackers to bypass traditional security controls and inject harmful content into web applications. The flaw resides in the improper sanitization of user-supplied data during authentication flows, particularly when handling SAML assertions that are transmitted through web interfaces. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79 which defines cross-site scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding, making it a prime target for exploitation in web-based attack scenarios.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends significantly beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive authentication tokens, and gain unauthorized access to protected resources within the federated identity environment. Attackers can craft malicious SAML responses that contain JavaScript code, which executes in the victim's browser when the response is processed, potentially leading to complete compromise of user sessions and access to privileged information. The vulnerability affects organizations relying on IBM's identity federation solutions for single sign-on capabilities, where successful exploitation could result in unauthorized access to multiple interconnected applications and services. This weakness particularly threatens environments where TFIM serves as a central authentication broker, as compromised sessions could propagate across the entire federated identity ecosystem. The attack vector requires minimal privileges since it operates entirely through web-based interfaces and does not require direct system access or elevated permissions, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with extensive federated identity deployments.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by applying the vendor-supplied patches for TFIM 6.2.0.12, 6.2.1.5, and 6.2.2.4 versions, along with corresponding Business Gateway updates. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive network monitoring for suspicious SAML response patterns and implementation of web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads. Security teams must also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of all federated identity environments and ensure proper input validation controls are in place across all authentication pathways. Organizations should review their existing SAML implementation practices and consider implementing additional security measures such as response validation, content security policies, and regular security testing to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the future. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1566 which covers credential access through phishing and social engineering, while also aligning with T1059 for command and scripting interpreter techniques. Given the nature of the vulnerability, security professionals should implement continuous monitoring and automated patch management processes to maintain protection against similar weaknesses in identity management systems.