CVE-2014-6152 in Tivoli Integrated Portal
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in IBM Tivoli Integrated Portal (TIP) 2.2.x allow remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/29/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6152 represents a critical security flaw within IBM Tivoli Integrated Portal version 2.2.x, specifically manifesting as multiple cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that pose significant risks to web application security. This issue affects the portal's authentication mechanisms and allows authenticated attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of other users' sessions, potentially compromising the entire web application ecosystem. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-79 indicates a failure in input validation and output encoding, which are fundamental security controls that should prevent malicious code injection into web applications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of user input within the Tivoli Integrated Portal's web interfaces, creating attack vectors where malicious scripts can be injected through unspecified input fields or parameters. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability can craft malicious payloads that execute in the context of authenticated users, potentially gaining access to sensitive data, performing unauthorized actions, or redirecting users to malicious websites. The authenticated nature of the attack means that exploitation requires valid user credentials, but once achieved, the impact can be severe as the attacker operates within the legitimate user's session context and privileges.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-6152 extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to escalate privileges, access confidential information, and potentially compromise the entire portal infrastructure. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can lead to data breaches, session hijacking, and unauthorized access to business-critical applications. Organizations relying on Tivoli Integrated Portal for enterprise portal services face significant risks including potential regulatory compliance violations, financial losses, and reputational damage when such vulnerabilities exist in their operational environments. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that TIP serves as an integrated portal solution that often aggregates access to multiple enterprise applications and services.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of input validation controls, output encoding mechanisms, and comprehensive security patching of affected Tivoli Integrated Portal installations. Organizations must ensure that all user inputs are properly sanitized and validated before processing, while also implementing proper content security policies to prevent script execution in web applications. The remediation approach should align with established security frameworks such as the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity guidelines, emphasizing the importance of secure coding practices and regular security assessments. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring solutions to detect and prevent exploitation attempts, while maintaining detailed audit logs to track any suspicious activities that may indicate attempted exploitation of this vulnerability.