CVE-2014-3013 in Curam Social Program Management
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in IBM Curam Social Program Management 4.5 SP10 through 6.0.5.4 allow remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via crafted input to a (1) custom JSP or (2) custom renderer.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/04/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3013 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting IBM Curam Social Program Management versions 4.5 SP10 through 6.0.5.4. This vulnerability resides within the application's handling of user input within custom JSP components and custom renderers, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts and HTML code within the context of affected systems. The issue manifests when authenticated users exploit improper input validation mechanisms that fail to adequately sanitize or escape user-supplied data before rendering it within web pages. This vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting attacks and aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through two distinct attack vectors involving custom JSP components and custom renderer implementations. Attackers can craft malicious input that gets processed by these components without proper sanitization, allowing the injection of malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers. The authentication requirement means that attackers must first establish valid credentials to exploit this vulnerability, though once authenticated, they can leverage this weakness to compromise other users within the same system. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script execution to potentially enable session hijacking, data theft, and further privilege escalation within the application environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-3013 is significant for organizations utilizing IBM Curam Social Program Management, as it creates persistent security risks for authenticated users. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to access sensitive program data, manipulate user sessions, and potentially gain unauthorized access to additional system resources. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the social program management system, potentially compromising the integrity of social program data and user privacy. Organizations may face regulatory compliance issues if user data becomes compromised through this vector, particularly in environments where sensitive social program information is processed. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability exists within custom components that organizations may have extended or modified beyond the standard IBM implementation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-3013 should prioritize immediate patching of affected IBM Curam Social Program Management installations to the latest available security updates from IBM. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms within custom JSP components and renderer implementations to prevent script injection attacks. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional defense-in-depth measures against XSS exploitation. Security teams should conduct thorough code reviews of custom components to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities within their own custom implementations. Regular security assessments of the application environment are essential to detect and address potential XSS vulnerabilities in custom extensions. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and monitoring for suspicious user activities can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to provide additional protection against XSS attacks targeting these specific components.