CVE-2013-5405 in Sterling File Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in IBM Sterling B2B Integrator 5.2 and Sterling File Gateway 2.2 allow remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/23/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-5405 represents a critical security flaw affecting IBM Sterling B2B Integrator version 5.2 and Sterling File Gateway version 2.2. This issue manifests as multiple cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that enable remote authenticated attackers to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the targeted systems. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the affected IBM products, creating exploitable entry points for malicious actors who can leverage legitimate user sessions to inject harmful content.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications. These vulnerabilities occur when the application fails to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content. The affected IBM products process user-supplied parameters without adequate filtering or encoding, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers. This creates a persistent threat vector where authenticated users become unwitting participants in executing attacker-controlled code, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further system compromise.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-5405 extends beyond simple script injection, as it fundamentally undermines the security model of the affected enterprise integration platforms. Organizations utilizing these IBM products face significant risks including unauthorized access to sensitive business data, potential disruption of critical B2B transactions, and compromise of the entire integration ecosystem. The authenticated nature of the attack means that attackers must first establish valid credentials, but once inside the system, they can exploit the XSS vulnerabilities to escalate their privileges or access additional resources within the network. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on web-based interfaces for managing business-to-business integrations and file transfers.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1566 for credential access through social engineering and T1059 for command and control through script injection. The attack chain typically begins with an authenticated user accessing the vulnerable application interface, followed by the injection of malicious scripts through unspecified parameters that are then executed in other users' browsers. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation controls, deploy robust output encoding mechanisms, and establish strict parameter validation procedures to prevent exploitation. Additionally, network segmentation and privileged access controls can help limit the potential impact of successful exploitation, while regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in the broader IT infrastructure.
The remediation approach for this vulnerability requires immediate patching of the affected IBM products to address the underlying input validation issues. Organizations should also implement web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script injection attempts, establish strict content security policies to prevent script execution, and conduct thorough code reviews to identify similar vulnerabilities in custom applications. Regular security training for administrators and developers can help prevent configuration errors that might exacerbate the vulnerability, while maintaining detailed audit logs of user activities can aid in detecting unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of input sanitization and output encoding in web applications, particularly in enterprise integration platforms where the stakes of security breaches are exceptionally high.