CVE-2013-4052 in WebSphere Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the UDDI Administrative console in IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) 6.1 before 6.1.0.47, 7.0 before 7.0.0.31, 8.0 before 8.0.0.8, and 8.5 before 8.5.5.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/24/2021
The CVE-2013-4052 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM WebSphere Application Server's UDDI Administrative console across multiple versions. This vulnerability exists in the web server's administrative interface that manages Universal Description Discovery and Integration services, which are essential components for enterprise service discovery and management. The UDDI console serves as a web-based administrative tool that allows system administrators to configure and manage UDDI registries, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise the underlying application server infrastructure. The vulnerability specifically affects IBM WebSphere Application Server versions 6.1 prior to 6.1.0.47, 7.0 prior to 7.0.0.31, 8.0 prior to 8.0.0.8, and 8.5 prior to 8.5.5.1, indicating a widespread impact across multiple major releases of the application server platform.
The technical flaw manifests as an insufficient input validation mechanism within the UDDI Administrative console's handling of user-supplied data. Attackers can exploit this weakness by injecting malicious web scripts or HTML content through unspecified vectors within the console interface. The vulnerability stems from the server's failure to properly sanitize or encode user input before rendering it in the web interface, creating an environment where malicious payloads can be executed within the context of authenticated users' browsers. This type of vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly handle user-controllable input that gets reflected back to users without adequate sanitization. The vulnerability allows for arbitrary code execution in the browser context of legitimate users who access the compromised administrative console, potentially leading to complete compromise of the administrative session.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, particularly given the privileged nature of the UDDI Administrative console. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can execute malicious scripts in the context of authenticated users, potentially gaining access to sensitive administrative functions and data within the WebSphere environment. This could enable attackers to modify UDDI registry entries, potentially disrupting service discovery mechanisms, or even escalate privileges to gain full administrative control over the application server. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it targets the administrative interface, which typically requires authentication and possesses elevated privileges, making the potential damage significantly greater than typical XSS vulnerabilities. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell, as attackers could leverage the XSS to establish persistent access through malicious script injection, and potentially use the compromised console to further attack other systems within the enterprise network.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigation strategies focusing on both application-level and network-level protections. The primary recommended action is to upgrade to the patched versions of IBM WebSphere Application Server as specified in the CVE advisory, which addresses the root cause by implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit exposure of the UDDI Administrative console to only authorized personnel, reducing the attack surface. Web application firewalls and content security policies should be implemented to detect and block suspicious input patterns that may indicate XSS attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation in administrative interfaces, as highlighted in industry best practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten Project, which emphasizes the critical need for proper sanitization of user inputs in all web applications. Organizations should also consider implementing additional monitoring and logging around administrative console access to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts.