CVE-2014-8909 in WebSphere Portal
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM WebSphere Portal 6.1.0.x through 6.1.0.6 CF27, 6.1.5.x through 6.1.5.3 CF27, 7.0.0.x through 7.0.0.2 CF29, 8.0.0.x before 8.0.0.1 CF15, and 8.5.0 before CF05 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted URL.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/16/2022
The CVE-2014-8909 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM WebSphere Portal versions spanning multiple release lines including 6.1.0.x through 6.1.0.6, 6.1.5.x through 6.1.5.3, 7.0.0.x through 7.0.0.2, 8.0.0.x prior to 8.0.0.1, and 8.5.0 before cumulative fix 05. This vulnerability specifically affects authenticated users who can manipulate URL parameters to execute malicious scripts within the context of the portal application. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it in web responses. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize user input, which directly enables attackers to inject malicious scripts that can execute in the victim's browser. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability provides attackers with the ability to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive user credentials, manipulate portal functionality, and potentially escalate privileges within the authenticated user context. The attack vector requires authentication but does not necessitate administrative privileges, making it particularly dangerous in environments where portal users have access to sensitive business data or administrative functions. The vulnerability impacts the core portal functionality by allowing attackers to inject malicious HTML and JavaScript code that executes in the context of legitimate users' sessions, potentially leading to complete compromise of user accounts and access to restricted portal features.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic XSS flaw where URL parameters are not adequately sanitized before being processed and rendered in web responses. Attackers can craft malicious URLs containing script payloads that, when accessed by authenticated users, execute within the portal's security context. This allows for the exploitation of session tokens, redirection to malicious sites, data exfiltration, and manipulation of portal content. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because IBM WebSphere Portal serves as a central enterprise portal platform where users access various business applications and sensitive data. The impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable attackers to perform actions such as modifying user permissions, accessing restricted content, or creating backdoors within the portal infrastructure. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of the portal software, indicating a widespread issue that required coordinated patching across different release lines. From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 for 'Use of Unsecured Credentials' and T1059 for 'Command and Scripting Interpreter', as it enables attackers to execute malicious scripts and potentially escalate privileges through session manipulation.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the appropriate cumulative fixes provided by IBM for each affected version. The recommended approach involves thorough input validation and output encoding mechanisms that ensure all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before processing. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls with XSS detection capabilities and monitoring for suspicious URL patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, administrators should review and restrict user permissions to minimize the impact of potential exploitation. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-79 emphasizes the importance of proper input validation and output encoding practices throughout the application lifecycle. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to add an additional layer of protection against script injection attacks. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in related web applications and ensure that the portal environment maintains adequate security controls. The cumulative fixes provided by IBM address the root cause by implementing proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms that prevent malicious scripts from being executed within the portal's security context.