CVE-2013-5428 in WebSphere DataPower XC10
Summary
by MITRE
IBM WebSphere DataPower XC10 appliances 2.5.0 do not require authentication for all administrative actions, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via unspecified vectors.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-5428 affects IBM WebSphere DataPower XC10 appliances running version 2.5.0 and represents a critical authentication bypass flaw that fundamentally compromises the security posture of these network appliances. This issue stems from the improper implementation of access control mechanisms within the appliance's administrative interface, where certain administrative functions can be executed without proper authentication credentials. The vulnerability exists specifically within the XC10 model, which is designed for application and data routing in enterprise environments, making it a critical component in many organizations' infrastructure.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing authentication requirement for administrative actions within the DataPower appliance's management interface. This authentication bypass allows remote attackers to execute administrative functions that should normally require valid credentials, effectively granting unauthorized access to critical system operations. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that the vulnerability affects multiple administrative functions within the appliance's interface, potentially including configuration changes, system restarts, and other operations that could lead to system compromise. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and represents a fundamental failure in access control implementation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it enables remote attackers to perform denial of service attacks against the affected appliances. Since the vulnerability allows unauthorized execution of administrative functions, attackers could potentially disrupt services by restarting the appliance, modifying critical configurations, or executing other malicious operations that would normally require legitimate administrative credentials. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries do not need physical access or local network presence to exploit this vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where these appliances often serve as critical infrastructure components. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially enable further exploitation and lateral movement within networks.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates as released by IBM, implementing network segmentation to limit access to these appliances, and ensuring proper firewall rules are in place to restrict administrative access. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and represents a clear violation of the principle of authentication in cybersecurity frameworks. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and defense evasion, as attackers could use the authentication bypass to maintain persistent access while evading detection mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized administrative activities and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing this type of authentication bypass vulnerability. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of patched systems to ensure that administrative functions properly require authentication while maintaining legitimate operational functionality.