CVE-2013-4004 in WebSphere Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Administrative console in IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) 8.0 before 8.0.0.7 and 8.5 before 8.5.5.1 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/21/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-4004 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM WebSphere Application Server administrative console components. This issue affects versions 8.0 prior to 8.0.0.7 and 8.5 prior to 8.5.5.1, exposing organizations to significant security risks through unauthorized code injection. The flaw specifically targets the administrative interface, which serves as a critical control point for server management and configuration operations. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can execute malicious scripts in the context of authenticated users, potentially compromising the entire application server environment.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the administrative console's web interface. The unspecified vectors suggest that the flaw exists across multiple entry points where user-supplied data is processed and rendered back to the browser without proper sanitization. This weakness allows authenticated attackers to inject malicious HTML or JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' sessions. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically targets the server's administrative functionality, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by users who already possess legitimate access credentials.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-4004 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to perform unauthorized administrative actions, steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or extract sensitive configuration data. Given that the administrative console provides access to critical server settings, database connections, and user management functions, successful exploitation could lead to complete server compromise. The authenticated nature of the attack means that attackers must first obtain valid credentials, but once inside the system, they can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges or conduct further reconnaissance. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script execution through web interfaces.
Organizations should immediately implement the vendor-provided security patches for IBM WebSphere Application Server versions 8.0.0.7 and 8.5.5.1 to remediate this vulnerability. In addition to patching, implementing proper input validation and output encoding measures can help mitigate the risk of similar vulnerabilities. Network segmentation and least privilege access controls should be enforced for administrative interfaces to limit potential damage from successful exploitation. Regular security assessments of web applications and administrative consoles should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and proper web application security controls in enterprise environments.