CVE-2014-4770 in WebSphere Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) 6.x through 6.1.0.47, 7.0 before 7.0.0.35, 8.0 before 8.0.0.10, and 8.5 before 8.5.5.4 allows remote authenticated administrators to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/05/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-4770 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM WebSphere Application Server versions spanning multiple release lines including 6.x through 6.1.0.47, 7.0 before 7.0.0.35, 8.0 before 8.0.0.10, and 8.5 before 8.5.5.4. This vulnerability specifically targets authenticated administrators who possess administrative privileges within the WebSphere environment, creating a significant security risk that could be exploited by malicious actors with legitimate administrative access. The flaw enables attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML code through carefully crafted URLs, leveraging the server's insufficient input validation mechanisms to execute malicious payloads in the context of other users' browsers.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting as a weakness that occurs when an application fails to properly validate or escape user-supplied input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content. The vulnerability exploits the server's handling of URL parameters without adequate sanitization, allowing an authenticated administrator to manipulate URL structures to inject malicious scripts. This particular implementation flaw demonstrates a failure in the server's input validation controls, where user-provided data is directly incorporated into web responses without proper encoding or filtering mechanisms. The attack vector specifically targets the URL parameter handling within the WebSphere administrative interface, making it particularly dangerous as it requires only administrative privileges to exploit rather than elevated system access or complex attack chains.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-4770 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can potentially enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, data theft, privilege escalation, and further exploitation of the compromised administrative account. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could manipulate the administrative interface to redirect users to malicious sites, steal administrative sessions, or inject persistent malicious code that would execute whenever legitimate administrators access the server management console. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would align with techniques such as T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566 for credential access through social engineering, as the compromised administrative session could be leveraged for broader network infiltration. Organizations running affected WebSphere versions face significant risk of unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions, potentially leading to complete system compromise and data breaches.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected WebSphere Application Server versions to the latest available security fixes provided by IBM. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding controls within their WebSphere configurations, ensuring that all user-supplied parameters are properly sanitized before being processed or displayed in web interfaces. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit administrative access to trusted networks and IP addresses, reducing the attack surface available to potential exploit attempts. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and security monitoring solutions can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts through anomalous URL patterns or script injection attempts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the web application stack, while maintaining up-to-date security configurations and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect administrative interfaces from both external and internal threats.