CVE-2014-0914 in Maximo For Oil And Gas
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM Maximo Asset Management 6.2 through 6.2.8 and 6.x and 7.x through 7.5.0.6, Maximo Asset Management 7.5 through 7.5.0.3 and 7.5.1 through 7.5.1.2 for SmartCloud Control Desk, and Maximo Asset Management 6.2 through 6.2.8 for Tivoli IT Asset Management for IT and Maximo Service Desk allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the Query Description Field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/04/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0914 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM Maximo Asset Management software across multiple versions and related products. This vulnerability exists in the Query Description Field functionality, which serves as a user input mechanism for defining and storing query parameters within the asset management system. The flaw allows authenticated attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML code that can be executed in the context of other users' browsers when they view the affected query descriptions. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities, where improper validation of user-supplied input leads to code execution in the victim's browser environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization and output encoding within the Maximo Asset Management application's query handling components. When users create or modify queries, the system stores the description field content without adequate validation or sanitization of potentially malicious input. This allows attackers who have authenticated access to the system to craft malicious payloads that exploit the lack of proper input filtering mechanisms. The vulnerability affects multiple product lines including Maximo Asset Management 6.2 through 6.2.8, 7.x through 7.5.0.6, SmartCloud Control Desk versions 7.5 through 7.5.0.3 and 7.5.1 through 7.5.1.2, and Tivoli IT Asset Management for IT versions 6.2 through 6.2.8. The impact is significant because these applications typically contain sensitive business data and are often used by authorized personnel with elevated privileges, making the potential attack surface particularly dangerous.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers to potentially escalate privileges, steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or extract sensitive information from the authenticated sessions. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1566 for Phishing, as attackers could craft malicious query descriptions that when viewed by other users trigger unwanted browser behavior. The threat model becomes particularly concerning in enterprise environments where Maximo Asset Management systems contain critical business data, including asset information, maintenance schedules, and financial records. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information, manipulate asset records, or disrupt business operations through session hijacking or data exfiltration attacks.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability effectively. The primary recommendation involves applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates that specifically address the input validation issues in the Query Description Field functionality. Additionally, implementing proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms within the application code can prevent malicious payloads from being stored and executed. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit the number of authenticated users who can create or modify query descriptions. Regular security monitoring and log analysis should be implemented to detect unusual query creation patterns or attempts to inject malicious content. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices such as those outlined in OWASP Top Ten and the ISO 27001 security framework, particularly focusing on input validation and output encoding controls to prevent similar issues in future software deployments.