CVE-2013-3995 in InfoSphere BigInsights
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM InfoSphere BigInsights 1.1 through 2.1 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/04/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-3995 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM InfoSphere BigInsights versions 1.1 through 2.1. This security weakness resides in the web application interface of the big data analytics platform, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code within the context of authenticated user sessions. The vulnerability specifically affects the platform's handling of user input within web interfaces, where insufficient validation and sanitization of data allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that can be executed by other users who view affected content. The affected versions encompass a significant portion of the BigInsights product line, indicating this was a widespread issue affecting multiple releases of the enterprise big data platform.
The technical nature of this XSS vulnerability stems from improper input validation mechanisms within the InfoSphere BigInsights web console and administrative interfaces. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that exploit the platform's failure to properly escape or filter user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages. The unspecified vectors suggest that the vulnerability may manifest across multiple input points within the application's user interface, potentially including form fields, URL parameters, or other interactive elements that process user input. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is classified as a critical security weakness in web applications. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it requires only authentication to exploit, meaning that any authenticated user with access to the BigInsights platform can potentially leverage this weakness.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-3995 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities within the context of the authenticated user's session. An attacker could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, modify web page content, or even execute administrative commands if the authenticated user possesses elevated privileges. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited repeatedly, as the malicious scripts remain embedded in the platform's data stores until properly addressed. Organizations using InfoSphere BigInsights in production environments face significant risk of data compromise, as the vulnerability could be used to exfiltrate sensitive information or manipulate analytics data. This threat is particularly concerning for enterprise environments where the platform handles critical business data and may be subject to regulatory compliance requirements.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-3995 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems with the vendor-provided security updates. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms within their web applications to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in custom-developed components. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by limiting user access to only necessary administrative functions and implementing proper session management controls. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security awareness training for administrators and developers is essential to prevent introduction of similar vulnerabilities in custom applications. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering tactics including the use of malicious links or scripts to compromise systems, and demonstrates the importance of defensive coding practices to prevent injection attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar weaknesses across their entire technology stack.