CVE-2015-5022 in Multi-Enterprise Integration Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Multi-Enterprise Integration Gateway 1.x through 1.0.0.1 and B2B Advanced Communications 1.0.0.2 and 1.0.0.3 before 1.0.0.3_2, when access by guests is enabled, place an internal hostname and a payload path in a response, which allows remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive information by leveraging a trading-partner relationship and reading response fields.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/18/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5022 affects IBM Multi-Enterprise Integration Gateway versions 1.x through 1.0.0.1 and B2B Advanced Communications versions 1.0.0.2 and 1.0.0.3 before 1.0.0.3_2. This security flaw manifests when guest access is enabled within the system, creating a information disclosure condition that can be exploited by remote authenticated users. The vulnerability resides in the way the affected systems handle responses when guest access is permitted, specifically by including internal hostname information and payload paths in the response data. This behavior represents a classic case of information exposure through response manipulation, where system internals are inadvertently revealed to unauthorized parties.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the gateway's response handling mechanisms. When guest users access the system through trading-partner relationships, the application fails to properly filter or sanitize the response data before transmission. This allows attackers to construct specific requests that trigger the inclusion of internal system information such as hostnames and file paths in the response payload. The vulnerability operates under the CWE-200 classification for Information Exposure and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213.002 for Data from Information Repositories, as it enables adversaries to gather system reconnaissance information through legitimate access channels.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it provides attackers with valuable information about the internal network structure and system configuration. The exposure of internal hostnames can reveal network topology details that aid in further exploitation attempts, while payload paths may disclose directory structures and application architecture. This information disclosure can serve as a foundation for more sophisticated attacks including privilege escalation, lateral movement, and targeted exploitation of other system vulnerabilities. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires only authenticated access, meaning that legitimate trading partners or guest users could potentially exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized intelligence about the system infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-5022 should focus on implementing proper access controls and response sanitization mechanisms. Organizations should ensure that guest access is strictly limited and monitored, with regular review of trading-partner relationships to minimize potential attack vectors. The most effective remediation involves applying the vendor-provided patches and updates that address the information disclosure in response handling. System administrators should also implement network segmentation and access control policies to limit the scope of potential information exposure. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in the system architecture, with particular attention to how internal system information is handled in response data. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of principle of least privilege and proper input/output validation in enterprise integration gateways, as highlighted in industry standards such as NIST SP 800-53 and ISO/IEC 27001 controls.