CVE-2014-6171 in WebSphere Portal
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM WebSphere Portal 6.1.0 through 6.1.0.6 CF27, 6.1.5 through 6.1.5.3 CF27, 7.0.0 through 7.0.0.2 CF29, 8.0.0 through 8.0.0.1 CF14, and 8.5.0 before CF04 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6171 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM WebSphere Portal versions spanning multiple release lines including 6.1.0 through 6.1.0.6, 6.1.5 through 6.1.5.3, 7.0.0 through 7.0.0.2, 8.0.0 through 8.0.0.1, and 8.5.0 prior to cumulative fix 04. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79 which specifically addresses improper neutralization of input during web page generation, making it a classic example of client-side code injection that can have severe implications for web application security.
The technical flaw manifests when the WebSphere Portal application fails to properly sanitize or validate URL parameters before processing them in web responses. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious URLs containing embedded script code that gets executed in the context of other users' browsers when they access the vulnerable portal. The vulnerability specifically affects the portal's handling of user-supplied input in URL parameters, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary HTML or JavaScript code that persists in the application's response. This occurs because the portal does not adequately filter or escape special characters in URL components before rendering them in web pages, creating an environment where malicious payloads can be executed without proper authorization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it enables attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities through the compromised portal environment. Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users, redirect victims to malicious websites, or even establish persistent backdoors within the portal infrastructure. The vulnerability affects users across multiple versions of the IBM WebSphere Portal platform, making it particularly dangerous as organizations with various portal deployments could simultaneously be exposed to the same threat vector. The impact is compounded by the fact that these portal systems often serve as central access points for enterprise applications, potentially providing attackers with elevated privileges and access to sensitive corporate data.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant IBM security patches and cumulative fixes that address this vulnerability, as well as implementing input validation controls at the application level. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection by monitoring and filtering suspicious URL patterns. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and input sanitization techniques as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten security guidelines. From an attack surface perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers malicious input injection, and T1059 which addresses command and scripting interpreters. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers and regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in their web applications, as this type of flaw demonstrates the persistent nature of XSS vulnerabilities in enterprise portal environments and underscores the necessity for continuous security monitoring and proactive vulnerability management strategies.