CVE-2013-2976 in WebSphere Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
The Administrative console in IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) 6.1 before 6.1.0.47, 7.0 before 7.0.0.29, 8.0 before 8.0.0.7, and 8.5 before 8.5.5.0 does not properly perform caching, which allows local users to obtain sensitive information via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/17/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-2976 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within IBM WebSphere Application Server administrative console implementations. This issue affects multiple versions of the application server platform, specifically targeting the 6.1, 7.0, 8.0, and 8.5 release lines before their respective security patches were applied. The flaw manifests in the administrative console's improper handling of caching mechanisms, creating exploitable conditions that enable local attackers to access sensitive information that should remain protected. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-200, which addresses information exposure through improper access control mechanisms, and demonstrates how inadequate cache management can lead to privilege escalation and data leakage scenarios.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the administrative console's failure to properly invalidate or refresh cached data structures when sensitive information is accessed or modified. This improper caching behavior creates persistent data exposure conditions where local users can exploit the system's memory or storage mechanisms to retrieve previously cached administrative credentials, configuration details, or other confidential data. The unspecified vectors suggest that the attack could potentially occur through multiple pathways including direct system access, process injection, or memory analysis techniques that leverage the flawed cache implementation. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to bypass normal access controls by retrieving cached information that should have been cleared or protected after initial access.
Operationally, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on IBM WebSphere Application Server for mission-critical applications. Local users with minimal privileges can potentially escalate their access to gain unauthorized visibility into administrative functions, system configurations, and sensitive operational data. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as the retrieved data could enable attackers to craft more sophisticated attacks, map system architectures, or identify additional vulnerabilities within the application server environment. This weakness particularly affects organizations where administrative console access is not properly restricted or where local user accounts have elevated privileges due to misconfigured security policies.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the vendor-provided security patches for all affected IBM WebSphere Application Server versions, implementing additional access controls for administrative console components, and conducting thorough security assessments of cache management implementations. System administrators should also consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect unusual access patterns to administrative interfaces and establish proper network segmentation to limit local access privileges. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1003, which covers credential dumping, and T1082, which addresses system information discovery, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrative access is not properly isolated from general user access. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar cache-related issues across the application server infrastructure.