CVE-2014-3010 in WebSphere Service Registry
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Web UI in IBM WebSphere Service Registry and Repository (WSRR) 6.2, 6.3 before 6.3.0.6, 7.0 before 7.0.0.6, 7.5 before 7.5.0.5, and 8.0 before 8.0.0.3 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3010 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM WebSphere Service Registry and Repository versions 6.2, 6.3, 7.0, 7.5, and 8.0. This issue affects the web-based user interface component of the service registry and repository platform, which serves as a central hub for managing enterprise service metadata and registry information. The flaw exists in how the application processes and renders user-supplied input within URL parameters, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of authenticated user sessions. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-provided data before incorporating it into dynamic web content. This particular weakness aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without adequate sanitization or encoding.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the ability to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive authentication tokens, and potentially escalate privileges within the WSRR environment. Remote attackers can craft malicious URLs that, when visited by authenticated users, execute malicious scripts in their browser context. This could lead to unauthorized access to service registry data, modification of registry entries, or even complete compromise of the service repository environment. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because WSRR systems typically contain sensitive enterprise service information, including service definitions, business processes, and integration patterns that are critical to organizational operations. Attackers could leverage this flaw to gain insights into enterprise architecture, service dependencies, or to inject malicious code that could propagate through the service registry ecosystem. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1059.007 technique for Scripting, specifically targeting web application interfaces where input validation is insufficient.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-3010 should prioritize immediate patch application from IBM, as the vendor has released specific fixes for each affected version. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation at multiple layers including web application firewalls, application-level sanitization, and output encoding mechanisms to prevent malicious scripts from executing. Security teams must also consider deploying content security policies that restrict script execution and implement proper access controls to limit the impact of potential exploitation. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be configured to detect anomalous URL patterns that may indicate attempts to exploit this vulnerability. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar input validation gaps in other enterprise applications. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched environments to ensure that the XSS vulnerability is fully resolved without introducing regressions in functionality. Organizations should also establish incident response procedures specifically tailored to handle potential exploitation of this vulnerability, including user session monitoring and authentication token rotation protocols to prevent long-term compromise of the WSRR environment.