CVE-2014-3096 in Curam Social Program Management
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM Curam Social Program Management before 6.0.5.5a allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/10/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3096 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM Curam Social Program Management software versions prior to 6.0.5.5a. This security weakness specifically affects the application's handling of user-supplied input in URL parameters, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute unauthorized scripts within the context of authenticated user sessions. The vulnerability operates by failing to properly sanitize or encode user-provided data before incorporating it into web page responses, thereby enabling attackers to inject malicious code that executes in the victim's browser environment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's web interface. When authenticated users navigate to specially crafted URLs containing malicious script payloads, the application processes these inputs without adequate sanitization measures. This flaw falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities where web applications fail to properly validate or encode user-controllable data before incorporating it into dynamic web content. The vulnerability's classification as a persistent XSS issue means that the malicious scripts can be stored on the server and executed whenever affected users access the compromised pages, making it particularly dangerous for social program management systems where user-generated content is common.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers to potentially steal session cookies, hijack user accounts, and access sensitive program management data. Since the vulnerability requires authentication to exploit, it primarily affects legitimate users who have valid credentials within the system, making it particularly insidious as it can be leveraged for privilege escalation attacks. Attackers could craft malicious URLs that, when clicked by authenticated users, would execute scripts capable of modifying program data, accessing confidential information, or redirecting users to phishing sites. The implications are especially severe in social program management contexts where sensitive personal and financial data is processed, as successful exploitation could lead to data breaches and unauthorized access to vulnerable populations' information.
Organizations utilizing IBM Curam Social Program Management should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of the vendor-provided security patches released in version 6.0.5.5a. The mitigation strategy should also include implementing comprehensive input validation controls, deploying web application firewalls, and establishing robust output encoding mechanisms to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of the system. Security teams should conduct thorough penetration testing and vulnerability assessments to identify potential variants of this vulnerability within the broader application ecosystem. Additionally, implementing security awareness training for administrators and users can help reduce the risk of successful exploitation through social engineering attacks that might leverage this vulnerability. The remediation process should align with industry best practices outlined in the ATT&CK framework, particularly focusing on defensive techniques related to input validation and output encoding to prevent XSS attacks at multiple layers of the application architecture.