CVE-2014-8903 in Curam Social Program Management
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Curam Social Program Management 6.0 SP2 before EP26, 6.0.4 before 6.0.4.5iFix10 and 6.0.5 before 6.0.5.6 allows remote authenticated users to load arbitrary Java classes via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/07/2021
IBM Curam Social Program Management version 6.0 SP2 before EP26, 6.0.4 before 6.0.4.5iFix10 and 6.0.5 before 6.0.5.6 contains a critical vulnerability that enables remote authenticated attackers to load arbitrary Java classes through unspecified vectors within the application framework. This vulnerability falls under the category of insecure deserialization and class loading mechanisms, which represents a significant security risk in enterprise social program management systems. The flaw exists in the application's handling of serialized data and class loading processes, allowing malicious actors with valid credentials to exploit this weakness and potentially execute arbitrary code on the target system. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-502 which describes "Deserialization of Untrusted Data" and represents a dangerous pathway for privilege escalation and remote code execution within enterprise environments. The affected versions indicate this was a persistent issue across multiple release streams of the software, suggesting inadequate security controls during the development and patching lifecycle.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple remote code execution to encompass potential system compromise and data breach scenarios. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can load malicious Java classes that may provide them with elevated privileges, access to sensitive data, or the ability to manipulate the application's core functionality. The authenticated nature of the attack means that an attacker must first obtain valid credentials, but this does not significantly reduce the risk given that credential compromise can occur through various attack vectors including social engineering, password reuse, or network sniffing. This vulnerability directly maps to attack techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: Java" and T1078 for "Valid Accounts" as the initial access vector. The attack chain typically involves an authenticated user session being used to submit malicious serialized data that triggers the insecure class loading mechanism, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
Organizations utilizing IBM Curam Social Program Management should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant security patches released by IBM to address this vulnerability. The patching process should be prioritized at the highest level given the remote execution capabilities and the presence of multiple affected versions across different release streams. Network segmentation and access controls should be enhanced to limit the potential impact of credential compromise, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual class loading activities or unauthorized Java class loading attempts. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any additional insecure deserialization patterns within the application or related systems. Additional mitigations include implementing proper input validation for all serialized data, disabling unnecessary class loading features, and establishing strict access controls for administrative functions. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure coding practices and proper validation of serialized data within enterprise applications, particularly those handling sensitive social program management data. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting solutions and regular security code reviews to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future releases.