CVE-2014-0933 in InfoSphere Information Server Metadata Workbench
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in IBM InfoSphere Information Server Metadata Workbench 8.1 through 9.1 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/04/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0933 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within IBM InfoSphere Information Server Metadata Workbench versions 8.1 through 9.1. This vulnerability resides in the web-based administrative interface of the metadata workbench component, which serves as a central hub for managing enterprise metadata assets. The flaw enables malicious actors to exploit the authentication mechanisms of legitimate users by tricking them into executing unauthorized actions through crafted web requests. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the application layer, targeting the session management and authentication validation processes that protect enterprise metadata repositories. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform actions such as modifying metadata configurations, creating unauthorized user accounts, or accessing restricted data sets without proper authorization.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation within the web application's request processing pipeline. When users authenticate to the InfoSphere Metadata Workbench, their session remains active and is typically validated through cookies or session identifiers. However, the application fails to implement robust token-based validation mechanisms that would prevent unauthorized requests from being processed. The vulnerability specifically affects the metadata management functions where administrative operations are performed, including configuration changes, user privilege modifications, and data access controls. According to CWE classification, this represents a CWE-352 vulnerability, which is the standard identifier for cross-site request forgery flaws in software applications. The flaw operates under the principle that legitimate users' browsers will automatically include authentication cookies with requests to the vulnerable application, allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that appear to originate from authenticated users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it can lead to complete compromise of enterprise metadata governance systems. Attackers who successfully exploit this CSRF vulnerability can manipulate the metadata repository to redirect data flows, alter access controls, or inject malicious metadata that could propagate throughout the enterprise information architecture. This compromise can result in data integrity issues, unauthorized data exposure, and potential disruption of business processes that depend on accurate metadata. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on metadata-driven data governance, as the compromised metadata workbench could undermine the entire data management ecosystem. From an attacker perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.002 for credential access through web application attacks, and T1078 for valid accounts usage to maintain persistence within enterprise environments. The impact is amplified when considering that metadata workbenches often contain sensitive information about data sources, business rules, and access patterns that could be leveraged for further attacks.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to address this CSRF vulnerability effectively. The primary recommendation involves implementing robust anti-CSRF token mechanisms that are generated per session and validated with every state-changing request. This approach directly addresses the underlying technical flaw by ensuring that each request contains a unique, unpredictable token that cannot be forged by attackers. Additionally, organizations should enforce strict content security policies that prevent unauthorized scripts from executing within the application context. The implementation of SameSite cookie attributes would provide an additional defense mechanism by preventing cookies from being sent in cross-site requests. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls should be deployed to monitor and filter suspicious request patterns that may indicate CSRF attack attempts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to verify the effectiveness of implemented controls. Organizations should also consider implementing additional authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication for administrative functions, as well as regular monitoring of user activity logs for anomalous behavior patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and following secure coding practices that include proper input validation and authentication token management as outlined in industry standards such as the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks.