CVE-2014-6176 in Business Process Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM WebSphere Process Server 7.0, WebSphere Enterprise Service Bus 7.0, and Business Process Manager Advanced 7.5.x through 7.5.1.2, 8.0.x through 8.0.1.3, and 8.5.x through 8.5.5 disregard the SSL setting in the SCA module HTTP import binding and unconditionally select the SSLv3 protocol, which makes it easier for remote attackers to hijack sessions or obtain sensitive information by leveraging the use of a weak cipher.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6176 affects IBM WebSphere Process Server versions 7.0, WebSphere Enterprise Service Bus 7.0, and Business Process Manager Advanced versions 7.5.x through 7.5.1.2, 8.0.x through 8.0.1.3, and 8.5.x through 8.5.5. This security flaw resides within the Service Component Architecture (SCA) module HTTP import binding functionality, specifically concerning how the system handles Secure Sockets Layer protocol selection. The vulnerability manifests when the system ignores the configured SSL settings and instead unconditionally defaults to the SSLv3 protocol, creating a significant security weakness that impacts the overall cryptographic security posture of the affected systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from a hardcoded protocol selection mechanism within the SCA HTTP import binding component. When the system processes HTTP requests through the SCA module, it fails to respect the SSL configuration parameters that should dictate which secure protocol version to use. Instead, it forcibly establishes connections using SSLv3 regardless of whether the system is configured to use TLS protocols or specifically disable SSLv3. This behavior creates an exploitable condition where the system becomes vulnerable to various cryptographic attacks that target weaknesses inherent in the SSLv3 protocol, including POODLE attacks and other protocol-level vulnerabilities that have been well-documented in cybersecurity literature.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple protocol selection misconfiguration, as it fundamentally undermines the security of communications within the WebSphere environment. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness to perform session hijacking attacks, intercept sensitive data transmitted between components, and potentially gain unauthorized access to business-critical processes. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because SSLv3 has known cryptographic weaknesses that make it susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks and data decryption attempts. This issue affects organizations that rely on WebSphere for enterprise service bus operations and business process management, potentially exposing sensitive business data and compromising the integrity of service-oriented architecture implementations. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-319 (CWE-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information) and represents a failure in proper protocol negotiation mechanisms that should be enforced by secure communication frameworks.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including disabling SSLv3 support in their WebSphere configurations, upgrading to patched versions of the affected software components, and ensuring that all SSL/TLS protocol configurations are properly enforced throughout the enterprise service bus architecture. The remediation process should involve comprehensive security configuration reviews to verify that TLS protocols are properly enforced and that SSLv3 is disabled system-wide. Additionally, security teams should conduct vulnerability assessments to identify any other components that might be exposed to similar protocol selection flaws and implement network-level controls to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper cryptographic protocol enforcement and highlights the need for robust security configuration management practices in enterprise middleware environments. The issue also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046 (Network Service Scanning) and T1566 (Phishing) as attackers may leverage this weakness to establish persistent access or conduct data exfiltration attacks through compromised service endpoints.