CVE-2014-3059 in WebSphere DataPower XC10 appliance
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Administrative Console on the IBM WebSphere DataPower XC10 appliance 2.5 allows remote attackers to obtain administrative privileges by leveraging access to an eXtreme Scale distributed ObjectGrid network.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/20/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-3059 represents a critical security flaw within IBM WebSphere DataPower XC10 appliance version 2.5's Administrative Console implementation. This issue manifests as an unspecified weakness that enables remote attackers to escalate their privileges from standard user access to full administrative control over the system. The vulnerability specifically targets the appliance's administrative interface and leverages access to an eXtreme Scale distributed ObjectGrid network as the attack vector, demonstrating how interconnected systems can create cascading security risks.
The technical nature of this flaw suggests a privilege escalation vulnerability that operates through the appliance's administrative console component. When an attacker gains access to the eXtreme Scale distributed ObjectGrid network, they can exploit this access to manipulate or bypass authentication mechanisms within the DataPower appliance's Administrative Console. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-269: "Improper Privilege Management" and potentially CWE-306: "Missing Authentication for Critical Function" as it allows unauthorized privilege escalation through legitimate network access paths. The attack requires remote access capabilities and demonstrates how distributed computing environments can create unexpected security exposure points when proper access controls are not maintained across interconnected components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over the DataPower appliance, potentially enabling them to modify firewall rules, access sensitive data, alter network configurations, and compromise the entire security posture of the organization's infrastructure. The ability to leverage an eXtreme Scale distributed ObjectGrid network access for privilege escalation indicates that this vulnerability could be exploited from external network positions, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that expose their DataPower appliances to untrusted networks. This type of attack vector is consistent with techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1078: "Valid Accounts" and T1499: "Endpoint Termination" as it allows attackers to gain elevated privileges without requiring direct physical access or complex exploitation techniques.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate the DataPower appliance from untrusted networks, implementing strict access controls for the eXtreme Scale distributed ObjectGrid network, and applying the vendor-provided security patches as soon as they become available. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual access patterns to the administrative console and network traffic originating from the ObjectGrid network. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network access control lists, multi-factor authentication for administrative access, and regular security audits to identify similar privilege escalation vulnerabilities in other components of their distributed computing infrastructure. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining consistent security policies across all interconnected systems and demonstrates why organizations must treat distributed computing environments as potential attack surfaces requiring comprehensive security controls.