CVE-2015-4938 in WebSphere Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
IBM WebSphere Application Server 7.x before 7.0.0.39, 8.0.x before 8.0.0.11, and 8.5.x before 8.5.5.7 allows remote attackers to spoof servlets and obtain sensitive information via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/13/2022
IBM WebSphere Application Server versions 7.x before 7.0.0.39, 8.0.x before 8.0.0.11, and 8.5.x before 8.5.5.7 contain a vulnerability that enables remote attackers to spoof servlets and obtain sensitive information through unspecified vectors. This vulnerability represents a significant security flaw in the application server's servlet handling mechanisms, potentially allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data and system information. The issue stems from inadequate validation and sanitization of servlet requests, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate the application server's behavior and gain unauthorized access to protected resources. The vulnerability affects the core servlet processing functionality of the WebSphere Application Server, which is fundamental to how web applications are deployed and executed within the platform.
The technical flaw manifests in the server's inability to properly authenticate and validate servlet requests, enabling attackers to craft malicious requests that can bypass normal access controls. This allows for unauthorized information disclosure and potential privilege escalation within the application server environment. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple attack paths may exist, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could be exploited through various methods including crafted HTTP requests, manipulated session data, or other protocol-level manipulations. The vulnerability directly impacts the server's integrity and confidentiality controls, potentially allowing attackers to access sensitive application data, system configurations, or other protected resources that should remain inaccessible to unauthorized users.
Operationally, this vulnerability poses a severe risk to organizations relying on IBM WebSphere Application Server for their web applications. Attackers could exploit this weakness to obtain sensitive information such as database credentials, application source code, user data, or system configuration details that could lead to further compromise of the affected systems. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation does not require physical access to the server, making it particularly dangerous for internet-facing applications. Organizations may experience data breaches, compliance violations, and potential regulatory penalties if this vulnerability is exploited successfully. The impact extends beyond immediate information disclosure to potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks including privilege escalation, lateral movement within networks, or complete system compromise depending on the application's security posture and the sensitivity of the accessed data.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and CWE-200 (Information Exposure) categories, reflecting fundamental flaws in access control mechanisms and information protection. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques such as T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS) and T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation) when exploited for information gathering and access control bypass. Organizations should immediately apply the relevant security patches provided by IBM to address this vulnerability. The recommended mitigation strategy includes updating to the patched versions of WebSphere Application Server, implementing network segmentation to limit access to the application server, and conducting thorough security assessments of deployed applications. Additionally, organizations should monitor network traffic for suspicious patterns and implement proper logging and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Regular vulnerability assessments and security audits should be conducted to identify and remediate similar issues in the application stack.