CVE-2013-4036 in InfoSphere
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM InfoSphere Master Data Management Server for Product Information Management 9.x before 9.1 FP13, and IBM InfoSphere Master Data Management - Collaborative Edition 10.x before 10.1 FP7 and 11.0 before FP2, allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/15/2018
The CVE-2013-4036 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM InfoSphere Master Data Management products, specifically affecting versions prior to their respective fix packs. This vulnerability resides in the Product Information Management server and Collaborative Edition components, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on these master data management solutions. The flaw enables authenticated attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content into the application's response handling mechanisms, potentially compromising user sessions and data integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding within the web application's user interface components. Attackers with valid credentials can exploit this weakness through unspecified vectors that likely involve form submissions, parameter handling, or dynamic content generation within the master data management interfaces. The vulnerability operates at the application layer where user-supplied data is processed and rendered back to the browser without proper sanitization, creating an environment where malicious payloads can execute in the context of other users' sessions.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses severe risks to organizations managing sensitive product information and master data. An authenticated attacker could leverage this flaw to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or inject persistent scripts that compromise the entire user base interacting with the system. The attack requires only legitimate user credentials, making it particularly dangerous as it can be executed by insiders or compromised accounts. Organizations using these master data management systems face potential data exfiltration, service disruption, and compliance violations due to the exposure of sensitive product information.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566 for initial access through malicious web content. Organizations should immediately implement the vendor-provided fix packs, specifically FP13 for version 9.x, FP7 for version 10.x, and FP2 for version 11.0 of the affected IBM InfoSphere products. Additional mitigations include implementing robust input validation, output encoding, and content security policies to reduce the attack surface. Regular security assessments and monitoring of user session activities should also be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of timely patch management and proper web application security practices in enterprise master data management environments.