CVE-2014-0889 in Global Retention Policy
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in IBM Atlas Suite (aka Atlas Policy Suite), as used in Atlas eDiscovery Process Management through 6.0.3, Disposal and Governance Management for IT through 6.0.3, and Global Retention Policy and Schedule Management through 6.0.3, allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified parameters.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/05/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0889 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting multiple components within IBM Atlas Suite, specifically targeting versions through 6.0.3 of Atlas eDiscovery Process Management, Disposal and Governance Management for IT, and Global Retention Policy and Schedule Management. This issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the web application framework, creating exploitable entry points where malicious actors can inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the application's response handling processes. The vulnerability exists in unspecified parameters, making it particularly challenging to detect and remediate as attackers can leverage various input vectors to deliver malicious payloads.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic XSS attack vector where user-supplied input is directly reflected back to the browser without proper sanitization or encoding. IBM Atlas Suite components typically process user requests through web interfaces that may accept parameters from various sources including form submissions, URL parameters, or API calls. When these inputs contain script tags or malicious JavaScript code, the application fails to properly escape or filter these elements before rendering them in the browser context. This failure allows attackers to execute arbitrary scripts within the victim's browser session, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-0889 extends beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers to manipulate the application's behavior and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or functionality. Organizations utilizing these Atlas Suite components face significant risks including unauthorized data access, privilege escalation, and potential compromise of the entire application environment. The vulnerability's presence in eDiscovery and governance management systems particularly amplifies the risk, as these applications often handle sensitive corporate data, legal documents, and retention policies that could be exploited for data exfiltration or manipulation. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access or create backdoors within the system.
From a security standards perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-site Scripting flaws in web applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566 related to spearphishing with a malicious attachment or link. The remediation approach should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all application parameters, including the implementation of Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution. Organizations must also establish proper parameter validation routines, implement proper HTML escaping for all dynamic content, and conduct regular security testing to identify similar vulnerabilities. IBM released patches addressing this vulnerability in subsequent updates, and organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through official security updates to prevent exploitation. Additionally, network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.