CVE-2014-0944 in Operational Decision Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the RES Console in Rule Execution Server in IBM Operational Decision Manager 7.5 before FP3 IF37, 8.0 before MP1 FP2, and 8.5 before MP1 IF26 allows remote authenticated users to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users for requests that insert XSS sequences.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/04/2018
The CVE-2014-0944 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within IBM Operational Decision Manager's Rule Execution Server console interface. This vulnerability specifically affects versions 7.5 prior to FP3 IF37, 8.0 prior to MP1 FP2, and 8.5 prior to MP1 IF26, creating a significant security risk for organizations utilizing these decision management platforms. The flaw resides in the RES Console component that governs rule execution processes, making it a particularly dangerous issue for enterprise decision management systems.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation mechanisms within the console's request processing pipeline. When authenticated users interact with the RES Console, the system fails to adequately verify the authenticity of requests originating from legitimate console sessions. This weakness enables malicious actors to craft specially crafted requests that can be executed on behalf of authenticated users without their knowledge or consent. The vulnerability becomes particularly dangerous when combined with the ability to inject XSS sequences, as it allows attackers to not only hijack user sessions but also to execute malicious scripts within the context of the victim's browser.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple session hijacking, as it creates a pathway for sophisticated attack chains that can compromise entire decision management environments. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to insert malicious XSS payloads that persist within the console environment, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The authenticated nature of the attack means that even if users are protected by standard network security measures, they remain vulnerable when accessing the RES Console interface. This creates a significant risk for organizations that rely on the console for critical business rule management and decision processing functions, as unauthorized modifications to rule sets could disrupt business operations or enable data exfiltration.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of available IBM security fixes and patches. The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to the patched versions of IBM Operational Decision Manager that address this specific CSRF weakness. Additionally, implementing proper session management controls and ensuring that all console interactions utilize robust anti-CSRF token mechanisms can help reduce the risk of exploitation. Security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring controls to detect anomalous console activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses, and represents a significant concern under the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and persistence tactics, as it enables attackers to maintain access through authenticated sessions while potentially establishing further footholds within the operational decision management infrastructure.