CVE-2014-6093 in WebSphere Portal
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM WebSphere Portal 7.0.x before 7.0.0.2 CF29, 8.0.x through 8.0.0.1 CF14, and 8.5.x before 8.5.0 CF02 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted URL.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/04/2022
The CVE-2014-6093 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in IBM WebSphere Portal software versions spanning multiple release lines. This vulnerability affects IBM WebSphere Portal 7.0.x prior to 7.0.0.2 CF29, 8.0.x through 8.0.0.1 CF14, and 8.5.x before 8.5.0 CF02, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on these portal implementations. The flaw specifically enables authenticated remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content through carefully crafted URLs, exploiting the portal's insufficient input validation mechanisms.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of URL parameters within the WebSphere Portal interface. When authenticated users navigate to specially crafted URLs containing malicious script payloads, the portal fails to properly sanitize or encode the input before rendering it in the web browser context. This failure in input validation creates an environment where attacker-controlled code can execute within the victim's browser session, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or further exploitation of the authenticated user's privileges. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, specifically representing a stored or reflected XSS variant depending on how the malicious input is processed and stored within the portal's architecture.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks within the web application environment. An authenticated attacker with access to the portal can potentially escalate privileges, access sensitive data, or manipulate portal content to compromise the integrity of the entire web application. The vulnerability's presence in multiple versions of IBM WebSphere Portal indicates a systemic issue in the input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms across these release lines, making it a widespread concern for organizations maintaining legacy portal implementations. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to establish persistent access patterns or conduct phishing attacks against other authenticated users within the same portal environment.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through official IBM security patches and cumulative fixes. The recommended mitigation strategy involves applying the specific cumulative fixes CF29 for 7.0.x, CF14 for 8.0.x, and CF02 for 8.5.x versions. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls with XSS detection capabilities and enforcing strict input validation policies can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. Security teams should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers and regular security assessments to identify potential similar vulnerabilities within their portal infrastructure. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1531 for "Account Access Through Persistence" and T1566 for "Phishing", highlighting the potential for both credential compromise and social engineering exploitation patterns that organizations must address through comprehensive security controls and user awareness training programs.