CVE-2015-5001 in WebSphere Portal
Summary
by MITRE
IBM WebSphere Portal 6.1.0 through 6.1.0.6 CF27, 6.1.5 through 6.1.5.3 CF27, 7.0.0 through 7.0.0.2 CF29, 8.0.0 before 8.0.0.1 CF19, and 8.5.0 before CF08 allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) via a crafted document.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/28/2022
IBM WebSphere Portal versions 6.1.0 through 6.1.0.6 CF27, 6.1.5 through 6.1.5.3 CF27, 7.0.0 through 7.0.0.2 CF29, 8.0.0 before 8.0.0.1 CF19, and 8.5.0 before CF08 contain a vulnerability that permits authenticated remote attackers to consume excessive memory resources through the manipulation of document structures. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-400 category of Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, specifically representing a denial of service condition where maliciously crafted documents can trigger memory exhaustion. The flaw exists in the document processing logic of the WebSphere Portal server, which fails to properly validate or limit the resource consumption associated with certain document formats. Attackers can exploit this weakness by submitting specially crafted documents that cause the portal server to allocate excessive memory during processing, leading to system instability and potential service disruption.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates how the WebSphere Portal application fails to enforce proper resource limits during document parsing operations. When a maliciously constructed document is processed, the system allocates memory in a manner that grows exponentially or linearly beyond normal operational parameters. This behavior can be attributed to inadequate input validation mechanisms and missing resource consumption monitoring within the document processing pipeline. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authenticated access, meaning that legitimate users with valid credentials can potentially exploit this weakness. The attack vector operates through the portal's document handling capabilities, where the system's inability to properly manage memory allocation during document processing creates a pathway for resource exhaustion attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass broader system stability concerns. Memory exhaustion attacks can lead to complete system crashes, application hangs, or performance degradation that affects all users of the portal service. Organizations relying on WebSphere Portal for business-critical applications face potential business interruption risks when this vulnerability is exploited. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of the WebSphere Portal platform, indicating a widespread issue that requires coordinated patch management across various system deployments. Additionally, the authenticated nature of the attack means that the threat landscape includes both external attackers and potentially compromised internal users, expanding the potential attack surface significantly.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant IBM security patches and updates that address this specific vulnerability. The recommended approach involves upgrading to patched versions of WebSphere Portal that contain fixes for the memory consumption issue. System administrators should also consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect unusual memory consumption patterns and alert on potential exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and access controls can help limit the potential impact by restricting access to the portal system to authorized users only. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for resource exhaustion attacks, specifically targeting the availability aspect of the CIA triad. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure they can quickly detect and respond to memory exhaustion attacks targeting their WebSphere Portal infrastructure.