CVE-2014-8895 in TRIRIGA Application Platform
Summary
by MITRE
IBM TRIRIGA Application Platform 3.2.1.x, 3.3.2 before 3.3.2.3, and 3.4.1 before 3.4.1.1 allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions and read the image files of arbitrary users via a crafted URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/10/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-8895 affects IBM TRIRIGA Application Platform versions 3.2.1.x, 3.3.2 before 3.3.2.3, and 3.4.1 before 3.4.1.1, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the platform's security model. This issue stems from improper validation of user permissions within the application's image handling functionality, creating a path for unauthorized data access that directly violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and access control enforcement.
The technical flaw manifests through a URL manipulation attack vector where remote attackers can construct malicious URLs to access image files belonging to arbitrary users within the system. This vulnerability operates at the application layer and demonstrates a classic path traversal or access control bypass weakness, with the underlying cause being inadequate input validation and insufficient authorization checks when processing image file requests. The flaw enables attackers to circumvent the normal permission mechanisms that should restrict access to user-specific content, effectively creating a backdoor into the platform's file system through the image serving component.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive user data, potentially including personal information, proprietary documents, or confidential business assets stored as image files within the TRIRIGA platform. This breach of confidentiality can lead to data exposure, intellectual property theft, and potential compliance violations, particularly in regulated environments where access to user data must be strictly controlled. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the system or prior authentication.
Organizations utilizing affected IBM TRIRIGA versions face significant risk of data breaches and unauthorized information disclosure, with the vulnerability potentially enabling broader attack scenarios where attackers can combine this access with other exploits to escalate privileges or access additional system resources. The flaw represents a violation of CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting, as unauthorized access to user content could facilitate further compromise of the system. Remediation efforts should prioritize immediate patching of affected versions to 3.3.2.3 or 3.4.1.1 respectively, while implementing additional monitoring and access controls to detect potential exploitation attempts.