CVE-2015-0116 in Leads
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Leads 7.x, 8.1.0 before 8.1.0.14, 8.2, 8.5.0 before 8.5.0.7.3, 8.6.0 before 8.6.0.8.1, 9.0.0 through 9.0.0.4, 9.1.0 before 9.1.0.6.1, and 9.1.1 before 9.1.1.0.2 does not properly restrict the additional of links, which makes it easier for remote authenticated users to conduct cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/19/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-0116 affects IBM Leads versions across multiple release streams including 7.x, 8.1.0 before 8.1.0.14, 8.2, 8.5.0 before 8.5.0.7.3, 8.6.0 before 8.6.0.8.1, 9.0.0 through 9.0.0.4, 9.1.0 before 9.1.0.6.1, and 9.1.1 before 9.1.1.0.2. This issue represents a significant security weakness in the application's web interface that allows for improper restriction of link addition functionality. The flaw specifically impacts the system's ability to properly validate and control user interactions when adding links, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the application's trust mechanisms. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability directly enables cross-site request forgery attacks by allowing unauthorized link additions that can manipulate the application's intended behavior.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the IBM Leads application's link management functionality. When authenticated users interact with the system's link addition features, the application fails to properly verify the authenticity and legitimacy of the link requests being processed. This improper restriction allows attackers to craft malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate authenticated sessions, thereby bypassing the application's security controls. The vulnerability manifests through unspecified vectors that typically involve manipulating the application's request handling processes to inject unauthorized link additions. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities, where the weakness allows unauthorized commands to be executed on behalf of authenticated users.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-0116 extends beyond simple data manipulation to potentially enable more severe security consequences within the IBM Leads environment. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could redirect users to malicious websites, inject harmful content into the application, or manipulate the lead management workflow in ways that compromise data integrity and system availability. The remote authenticated nature of the attack means that exploitation does not require physical access to the system, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where multiple users maintain authenticated sessions. The vulnerability essentially undermines the application's session management and trust verification mechanisms, allowing attackers to perform unauthorized actions within the context of legitimate user sessions.
Organizations utilizing affected IBM Leads versions face significant risk exposure from this vulnerability, particularly in environments where sensitive customer data and business leads are managed. The vulnerability's potential for enabling additional attack vectors means that exploitation could lead to broader system compromise, data exfiltration, or disruption of business operations. Security teams should prioritize immediate remediation efforts, including applying the vendor-provided patches and updates that address the CSRF protection weaknesses in the affected releases. The mitigation strategy should also include implementing additional security controls such as implementing proper CSRF tokens, enhancing session management protocols, and conducting comprehensive security assessments of the application's web interface components. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing robust input validation mechanisms to prevent unauthorized access and manipulation of web applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1566 technique for "Phishing with Social Engineering" and T1071.001 for "Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols" as it enables attackers to manipulate web application behavior through crafted requests that appear legitimate to the target system.