CVE-2014-4761 in WebSphere Portal
Summary
by MITRE
IBM WebSphere Portal 6.1.0 through 6.1.0.6 CF27, 6.1.5 through 6.1.5.3 CF27, 7.0 through 7.0.0.2 CF28, 8.0 before 8.0.0.1 CF14, and 8.5.0 through 8.5.0.0 CF02 allows remote authenticated users to discover credentials by reading HTML source code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/30/2022
This vulnerability exists in IBM WebSphere Portal versions spanning multiple release lines including 6.1.0 through 6.1.0.6, 6.1.5 through 6.1.5.3, 7.0 through 7.0.0.2, 8.0 before 8.0.0.1, and 8.5.0 through 8.5.0.0. The flaw allows remote authenticated users to extract sensitive credential information by examining HTML source code, representing a significant security weakness in the portal's authentication and session management mechanisms. This vulnerability falls under the category of information disclosure, specifically related to credential exposure through improper source code handling. The issue stems from the portal's failure to properly sanitize or obfuscate credential information within HTML responses, making it accessible to unauthorized parties who can retrieve this data through simple source code inspection techniques.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the portal's web application generating HTML content that includes credential information in a manner that is not adequately protected from client-side inspection. When authenticated users access certain portal pages, the system may embed sensitive data such as session tokens, authentication credentials, or other identifying information directly within the HTML source code structure. This exposure occurs because the application does not implement proper security controls to prevent credential leakage through HTML source inspection. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authenticated access to exploit, meaning that legitimate users with valid credentials can potentially access information that should remain protected. This represents a violation of the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a weakness in the portal's security architecture.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it provides attackers with a straightforward method to obtain sensitive authentication information that can be used for unauthorized access to the portal system. Once credentials are discovered through HTML source inspection, attackers can potentially escalate their privileges, impersonate legitimate users, or gain access to additional system resources that require authentication. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of IBM WebSphere Portal, indicating a widespread issue that would require extensive patching efforts across affected environments. Organizations using these portal versions face increased risk of credential theft, session hijacking, and potential unauthorized system access. The impact extends beyond simple credential exposure as the leaked information could facilitate further attacks including privilege escalation, lateral movement, and persistent access to the affected systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and output sanitization controls to prevent credential information from being embedded in HTML source code. Organizations should immediately apply the relevant security patches provided by IBM to address this specific issue. The recommended approach includes configuring the portal to properly escape or remove sensitive data from HTML responses before rendering them to clients. Security controls should be implemented to ensure that authentication tokens and other credential information are not exposed through HTML source inspection. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments to identify any other potential information disclosure vulnerabilities within their WebSphere Portal environments. Additionally, implementing proper access controls, monitoring for unusual authentication patterns, and regular security audits can help detect and prevent exploitation of this type of vulnerability. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and represents a critical weakness in the portal's security architecture that requires immediate attention and remediation to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive system resources.