CVE-2014-3057 in WebSphere Portal
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Unified Task List (UTL) Portlet for IBM WebSphere Portal 7.x and 8.x through 8.0.0.1 CF12 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/26/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3057 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Unified Task List portlet of IBM WebSphere Portal versions 7.x and 8.x through 8.0.0.1 CF12. This security weakness resides in the portal's handling of user-supplied input within URL parameters, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers. The flaw specifically affects the UTL portlet implementation, which is designed to display task lists and workflow information within the portal environment. The vulnerability's presence in multiple versions of the WebSphere Portal platform indicates a widespread exposure across organizations utilizing these systems, potentially affecting thousands of deployments worldwide. The issue manifests when the portal fails to properly sanitize or validate URL parameters before rendering them in web pages, allowing attackers to craft malicious URLs that contain embedded script code.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows the typical XSS attack pattern where an attacker crafts a malicious URL containing script code that gets executed when victims navigate to the crafted link or when the vulnerable portlet processes the URL. The flaw is categorized under CWE-79 as "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')", which is one of the most prevalent and well-documented web application vulnerabilities in the industry. When an attacker successfully injects malicious code through this vector, the script executes within the victim's browser session with the privileges of that user, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of the compromised user. The attack can be particularly insidious because the malicious code executes in the legitimate portal context, making it difficult for users to distinguish between authentic and malicious content. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that IBM WebSphere Portal is widely deployed in enterprise environments where users frequently access task lists and workflow information, creating numerous potential attack vectors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable sophisticated attack chains that compromise entire portal environments. Attackers can leverage the XSS flaw to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or inject additional malicious scripts that persist in the portal environment. The vulnerability's presence in both WebSphere Portal 7.x and 8.x versions creates a substantial attack surface across organizations that may have legacy systems still running these older versions. Security professionals must consider that users interacting with the Unified Task List portlet may inadvertently trigger the exploit when clicking on links or navigating through portal pages, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where users trust portal content. The attack can be executed remotely without requiring authentication, making it accessible to anyone who can influence the target user's navigation or who can craft malicious URLs for delivery through phishing campaigns or compromised websites.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding for all user-supplied data within the portal environment, particularly focusing on URL parameters processed by the UTL portlet. The recommended approach involves implementing proper sanitization of input parameters and ensuring that all dynamic content is properly escaped before rendering in web pages. Security measures should include configuring web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious URL patterns, implementing content security policies to prevent script execution, and conducting thorough input validation for all portal components. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1059.002 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell" and T1566.001 for "Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment" indicates that attackers may leverage this vulnerability as part of broader attack campaigns. Organizations should also consider implementing regular security assessments of their portal environments, monitoring for suspicious URL patterns, and ensuring that all systems are updated to patched versions of IBM WebSphere Portal. The remediation process requires careful testing to ensure that security measures do not break legitimate portal functionality while effectively preventing the XSS exploitation vector.