CVE-2014-4746 in WebSphere Portal
Summary
by MITRE
IBM WebSphere Portal 8.0.0 before 8.0.0.1 CF13 and 8.5.0 through CF01 provides different error codes for firewall-traversal requests depending on whether the intranet host exists, which allows remote attackers to map the intranet network via a series of requests.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/10/2022
This vulnerability in IBM WebSphere Portal affects versions prior to 8.0.0.1 CF13 and 8.5.0 CF01, presenting a significant information disclosure risk through inconsistent error handling mechanisms. The flaw manifests when the portal processes firewall-traversal requests, where it returns different error codes based on whether the target intranet host is accessible or not. This behavior creates a reconnaissance opportunity for attackers to map internal network structures through systematic probing and analysis of response variations. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and represents a classic case of information leakage through error message manipulation, which directly aligns with CWE-209, "Information Exposure Through Error Message," and also relates to CWE-200, "Information Exposure," through the unintended disclosure of network topology information.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves sending carefully crafted requests to the WebSphere Portal server and analyzing the responses to determine host availability and network structure. Attackers can systematically probe internal network resources by observing whether the server returns different error codes for accessible versus inaccessible hosts, effectively creating a network mapping tool through the portal's inconsistent error handling. This technique allows adversaries to discover internal IP addresses, host names, and network topology without requiring direct network access or authentication credentials. The vulnerability fundamentally stems from poor error handling design where the application provides different security responses based on network state rather than maintaining consistent, generic error messages that do not reveal internal system information.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to perform network reconnaissance without authentication, potentially leading to more sophisticated attacks such as targeted exploitation of internal services or privilege escalation. The ability to map internal networks through error code analysis creates a foundation for advanced persistent threats and allows attackers to identify potential targets within the organization's network infrastructure. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely on WebSphere Portal for intranet access or content management, as it provides attackers with valuable intelligence for planning subsequent attacks. The exposure of internal network topology through application error responses represents a significant risk to organizations with complex network architectures where internal systems should remain hidden from external parties.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the patched versions of IBM WebSphere Portal 8.0.0.1 CF13 and 8.5.0 CF01, which address the inconsistent error handling behavior. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and error handling mechanisms can prevent similar issues in other applications by ensuring that all error responses are generic and do not reveal system information. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be reviewed to limit access to the portal server, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual patterns of requests that may indicate reconnaissance activity. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1046, "Network Service Scanning, and T1083, 'File and Directory Discovery' through the information gathering phase that precedes more targeted attacks. Regular security assessments should include testing for similar error handling vulnerabilities in other applications to prevent similar reconnaissance opportunities. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices that emphasize consistent error handling and information minimization principles to prevent unintentional information disclosure through application responses.