CVE-2014-4839 in TRIRIGA Application Platform
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in birtviewer.query in IBM TRIRIGA Application Platform 3.2 and 3.3 before 3.3.0.2, 3.3.1 before 3.3.1.3, 3.3.2 before 3.3.2.2, and 3.4 before 3.4.0.1 allows remote authenticated users to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users for requests that insert XSS sequences.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/29/2018
The CVE-2014-4839 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within IBM TRIRIGA Application Platform versions 3.2 through 3.4, specifically affecting birtviewer.query functionality. This vulnerability resides in the platform's authentication handling mechanisms and enables remote authenticated attackers to exploit the system's trust model. The flaw allows malicious actors to craft requests that appear legitimate to the application, thereby bypassing normal authentication checks and potentially executing unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates within the context of an authenticated session, meaning that attackers who have already gained access to legitimate user credentials can leverage this weakness to escalate their privileges or perform actions they would not normally be authorized to execute.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms within the birtviewer.query component. When legitimate users navigate to malicious pages or click on compromised links, the application fails to verify that requests originate from authorized sources. This weakness creates a pathway for attackers to inject malicious payloads through cross-site requests, specifically targeting the query functionality that processes user inputs. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery, and aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1566.002 for Phishing with Malicious Attachments, as attackers can craft deceptive web pages that exploit this weakness. The system's failure to implement robust CSRF protection mechanisms means that authenticated sessions can be hijacked without proper verification of the request source, allowing attackers to perform unauthorized operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it creates a vector for cross-site scripting attacks through the insertion of malicious XSS sequences. Attackers can exploit this weakness to inject malicious scripts into the application's query processing functionality, potentially leading to session hijacking, data exfiltration, or further exploitation of the platform. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of IBM TRIRIGA Application Platform, indicating a widespread issue within the product's architecture rather than a localized problem. Organizations utilizing these affected versions face significant risk, as authenticated users may unknowingly trigger malicious requests that execute in their context. This creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited repeatedly, potentially leading to data breaches, unauthorized system access, or compromise of sensitive business information stored within the TRIRIGA platform.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including the application of available patches from IBM that address the CSRF implementation flaws in the birtviewer.query component. The recommended approach involves deploying the specific version updates that resolve the authentication validation issues and implement proper CSRF token mechanisms. Security teams should also consider implementing additional protective measures such as implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution, monitoring for suspicious query requests, and conducting regular security assessments of the platform's authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing comprehensive security controls beyond basic authentication. Organizations should also review their access control policies and user permissions to minimize the potential impact of successful exploitation, while ensuring that security monitoring systems are configured to detect anomalous behavior patterns that may indicate CSRF attacks. The ATT&CK framework suggests that this vulnerability could be leveraged as part of a broader attack chain, making it essential for organizations to maintain robust security hygiene practices.