CVE-2013-6722 in WebSphere Portal
Summary
by MITRE
Unrestricted file upload vulnerability in the Registration/Edit My Profile portlet in IBM WebSphere Portal 7.x before 7.0.0.2 CF27 and 8.x through 8.0.0.1 CF09 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or modify data via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/01/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-6722 represents a critical unrestricted file upload flaw within IBM WebSphere Portal's Registration/Edit My Profile portlet functionality. This security weakness exists in versions 7.x prior to 7.0.0.2 CF27 and 8.x through 8.0.0.1 CF09, creating a significant attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to compromise system integrity. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly restrict file types and content uploaded through the portal's user registration and profile editing interfaces. This flaw falls under the CWE-434 category of Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type, which is classified as a high-risk vulnerability in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows remote attackers to bypass normal file upload restrictions through unspecified vectors that likely involve manipulation of file headers, extensions, or upload parameters. Attackers can potentially upload malicious files such as web shells, script files, or other harmful content that could execute within the portal's server environment. The impact extends beyond simple data modification to include potential denial of service conditions where system resources become exhausted or corrupted through malicious file execution. This vulnerability directly enables arbitrary code execution and persistent access to the underlying server infrastructure, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where WebSphere Portal serves as a central collaboration and content management platform.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates multiple attack vectors that can lead to complete system compromise and data exfiltration. The exploitation process typically involves uploading malicious files through the vulnerable portlet interface, which then allows attackers to execute commands on the target system with the privileges of the web application server. The attack chain often follows patterns consistent with the MITRE ATT&CK framework's technique T1190 for Exploit Public-Facing Application, where attackers leverage known vulnerabilities in web applications to gain unauthorized access. Organizations running affected versions of IBM WebSphere Portal face severe risks including unauthorized data access, system infiltration, and potential lateral movement within their network infrastructure.
The recommended mitigation strategies include immediate deployment of the vendor-provided security fixes and patches released by IBM for the affected versions. Organizations should implement comprehensive file upload validation mechanisms that enforce strict content type checking, file extension filtering, and size limitations on all user-uploaded content. Network segmentation and application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection by monitoring and restricting upload traffic to the vulnerable portlet components. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other application components, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and secure coding practices. Additionally, implementing principle of least privilege access controls and regular security audits can help minimize the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts.