CVE-2015-5002 in Host On-Demand
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM Host On-Demand 11.0 through 11.0.14 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/17/2018
The CVE-2015-5002 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw identified in IBM Host On-Demand versions 11.0 through 11.0.14. This vulnerability resides within IBM's terminal emulation software that enables users to connect to mainframe systems through web interfaces. The flaw specifically affects the web-based components of the Host On-Demand application, which serves as a bridge between web browsers and legacy mainframe environments. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the application's URL handling functionality, creating an exploitable condition that allows remote attackers to inject malicious scripts into the web interface.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input parameters within URLs. Attackers can craft malicious URLs containing script code that gets executed in the context of other users' browsers who access the vulnerable application. The flaw operates through the standard XSS attack vector where untrusted data flows from the web application to the browser without proper sanitization or encoding. This allows attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the victim's browser session, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or data exfiltration. The vulnerability specifically affects the web interface components that handle URL parameters, making any interaction with the application's web-based features susceptible to this attack.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-5002 extends beyond simple script injection, presenting significant security risks to organizations relying on IBM Host On-Demand for mainframe connectivity. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to impersonate legitimate users, access sensitive mainframe data, or establish persistent access to corporate networks through the compromised terminal emulation interface. The vulnerability affects organizations using mainframe systems in enterprise environments where Host On-Demand serves as a critical connectivity layer between web applications and legacy systems. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation can occur from anywhere on the internet, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with exposed web interfaces. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a classic example of how web application security controls can fail when input validation is insufficient.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches for IBM Host On-Demand versions 11.0 through 11.0.14, which address the input validation issues in the URL handling components. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls should be deployed to filter malicious URL parameters, while input validation should be strengthened at the application level to ensure all URL parameters are properly sanitized before processing. Browser security controls including content security policies and XSS protection mechanisms should be configured to limit script execution capabilities within the application context. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of the principle of least privilege in application design, where input handling should always assume malicious intent and implement comprehensive sanitization controls. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their web-based terminal emulation interfaces to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components and ensure proper security controls are in place to prevent unauthorized access to critical mainframe systems. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script injection and T1566 for social engineering attacks that could leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized access to sensitive enterprise systems.