CVE-2015-1997 in Security QRadar Vulnerability Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in IBM Security QRadar Vulnerability Manager 7.2.x before 7.2.5 Patch 5 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users for requests that insert XSS sequences.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/08/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-1997 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within IBM Security QRadar Vulnerability Manager version 7.2.x prior to 7.2.5 Patch 5. This vulnerability operates at the intersection of web application security and authentication mechanisms, creating a pathway for remote attackers to manipulate authenticated sessions. The flaw specifically enables attackers to craft malicious requests that can insert cross-site scripting sequences into the target system, effectively bypassing authentication controls that should protect against unauthorized access. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of request origins and missing anti-CSRF tokens within the web application's request processing pipeline.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the fundamental principle that web applications should verify the authenticity of requests originating from legitimate users. In the affected IBM QRadar Vulnerability Manager versions, the application failed to properly validate that incoming requests were genuinely initiated by authenticated users rather than crafted by malicious actors. This weakness allows attackers to leverage the trust relationship between the web application and legitimate users to execute unauthorized actions. The insertion of XSS sequences through CSRF attacks creates a particularly dangerous scenario where attackers can not only hijack user sessions but also inject malicious scripts that can persist within the application's interface, potentially compromising multiple users over time.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple session hijacking to encompass broader security implications for organizations relying on QRadar Vulnerability Manager for security operations. Attackers could exploit this weakness to perform actions such as creating new user accounts, modifying existing configurations, accessing sensitive vulnerability data, or executing arbitrary commands within the system. The combination of CSRF and XSS capabilities creates a multi-layered threat where the initial session hijacking can be followed by persistent script injection that affects all users who interact with the compromised interface. This vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of security data within the QRadar environment, potentially exposing organizations to significant risk during security assessments and vulnerability management activities.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patch 5 for IBM Security QRadar Vulnerability Manager 7.2.x, which addresses the missing CSRF protection mechanisms. The fix typically involves implementing proper anti-CSRF token validation and origin checking within the application's request handling processes. Security teams should also consider implementing additional defensive measures such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious request patterns, monitoring for unauthorized user account modifications, and implementing stricter session management policies. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access and privilege escalation, particularly T1566 for credential harvesting and T1078 for valid accounts. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure they can detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts, as the combination of session hijacking and XSS injection can be particularly difficult to trace and remediate once established within a network security environment.