CVE-2014-4790 in Emptoris Sourcing Portfolio
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Emptoris Sourcing Portfolio 9.5.x before 9.5.1.3, 10.0.0.x before 10.0.0.1, 10.0.1.x before 10.0.1.3, and 10.0.2.x before 10.0.2.4 and Emptoris Spend Analysis 9.5.x before 9.5.0.4, 10.0.1.x before 10.0.1.3, and 10.0.2.x before 10.0.2.4 do not properly restrict use of FRAME elements, which allows remote authenticated users to conduct phishing attacks, and bypass intended access restrictions or obtain sensitive information, via a crafted web site, related to a "frame injection" issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/11/2018
This vulnerability represents a critical web application security flaw in IBM Emptoris Sourcing Portfolio and Spend Analysis products that enables malicious actors to exploit improper handling of HTML frame elements. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation and sanitization of frame-related content within the application's web interface, creating an avenue for attackers to manipulate the browser's frame rendering behavior. The issue specifically affects multiple versions of the Emptoris platform, including 9.5.x series before 9.5.1.3, 10.0.0.x before 10.0.0.1, 10.0.1.x before 10.0.1.3, 10.0.2.x before 10.0.2.4, and various versions of the Spend Analysis module. This flaw allows authenticated attackers to craft malicious websites that can inject frames into the targeted application's interface, potentially compromising user sessions and access controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the application's failure to properly validate and sanitize frame-related HTML attributes and content, particularly when processing user-supplied input or external resources. When the application renders web pages containing frame elements, it does not adequately verify the source or content of these frames, allowing attackers to inject malicious frame content that can manipulate the browser's rendering context. This frame injection capability enables attackers to create deceptive user interfaces that can trick users into revealing sensitive information or performing unintended actions within the application context. The vulnerability operates at the application layer, specifically affecting the web presentation logic and HTML rendering components that handle frame elements.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations using affected IBM Emptoris versions, as it provides attackers with multiple attack vectors for compromising user sessions and accessing restricted information. Authentication is required to exploit this vulnerability, but once exploited, attackers can conduct phishing attacks by presenting misleading interfaces that appear to be legitimate application components. This capability allows unauthorized access to sensitive procurement data, user credentials, and business-critical information within the sourcing and spend analysis environments. The vulnerability also enables attackers to bypass intended access restrictions, potentially allowing them to view or modify data that should be restricted to authorized users only, which could lead to financial losses, data breaches, and compliance violations.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates for the affected versions of IBM Emptoris Sourcing Portfolio and Spend Analysis. The recommended approach involves upgrading to the patched versions that address the frame injection vulnerability through proper input validation and sanitization of frame-related HTML content. Network-level controls such as web application firewalls and content filtering solutions can provide additional defense-in-depth measures by monitoring and blocking suspicious frame injection attempts. Security teams should also implement regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify potential exploitation vectors and ensure proper configuration of the application's security controls. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes improper neutralization of input during web page generation, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566 related to spearphishing through social engineering. Organizations should also consider implementing user awareness training to recognize phishing attempts that may leverage this vulnerability, as well as establishing monitoring procedures for detecting anomalous frame injection patterns within the application environment.