CVE-2013-2373 in Spotfire Web Player
Summary
by MITRE
The Engine in TIBCO Spotfire Web Player 3.3.x before 3.3.3, 4.0.x before 4.0.3, 4.5.x before 4.5.1, and 5.0.x before 5.0.1 does not properly implement access control, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information or modify data via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/09/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-2373 affects the TIBCO Spotfire Web Player engine across multiple versions including 3.3.x before 3.3.3, 4.0.x before 4.0.3, 4.5.x before 4.5.1, and 5.0.x before 5.0.1. This represents a critical access control implementation flaw that compromises the security posture of organizations relying on this business intelligence platform for data analysis and visualization. The affected system operates as a web-based analytics engine that processes and displays sensitive business data, making it a prime target for attackers seeking unauthorized access to corporate information assets.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient access control mechanisms within the engine's architecture, allowing remote attackers to exploit unspecified vectors to either obtain sensitive information or modify data within the system. This weakness manifests as a failure to properly validate user permissions and authentication states when processing requests, creating potential entry points for unauthorized individuals. The vulnerability specifically impacts the engine component rather than the user interface, meaning that attackers could potentially bypass traditional client-side security measures and directly access backend data processing functions. This type of flaw aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues in software systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it enables both information disclosure and data modification capabilities for remote attackers. Organizations utilizing affected versions of TIBCO Spotfire Web Player face significant risks including unauthorized data access, potential data manipulation, and exposure of confidential business intelligence. The remote nature of the attack vector means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from outside the organization's network perimeter, making traditional network-based security controls insufficient to prevent exploitation. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprises that handle sensitive financial data, strategic business intelligence, or proprietary analytical models within their Spotfire environments.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of TIBCO Spotfire Web Player, applying the vendor-provided security updates, and implementing additional network segmentation measures. Security controls should focus on strengthening authentication mechanisms, implementing proper input validation, and establishing monitoring for anomalous access patterns. The remediation process should also include comprehensive security assessments of all Spotfire installations and related systems to identify potential secondary impacts. Organizations should consider implementing network access controls and firewall rules to limit access to the affected systems while patches are deployed. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches in enterprise analytics platforms and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential access through exploitation of software vulnerabilities.