CVE-2015-5050 in Emptoris Contract Management
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in IBM Emptoris Contract Management 9.5.0.x before 9.5.0.6 iFix15, 10.0.0.x and 10.0.1.x before 10.0.1.5 iFix5, 10.0.2.x before 10.0.2.7 iFix4, and 10.0.4.x before 10.0.4.0 iFix3 allows remote authenticated users to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users for requests that insert XSS sequences.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/26/2018
The CVE-2015-5050 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within IBM Emptoris Contract Management software across multiple version streams. This vulnerability specifically affects versions 9.5.0.x before 9.5.0.6 iFix15, 10.0.0.x and 10.0.1.x before 10.0.1.5 iFix5, 10.0.2.x before 10.0.2.7 iFix4, and 10.0.4.x before 10.0.4.0 iFix3. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of cross-site requests, allowing malicious actors to exploit the authentication mechanisms of legitimate users without their knowledge or consent.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of authenticated sessions within the web application framework. When authenticated users navigate to maliciously crafted web pages or interact with compromised content, the application fails to properly validate the origin of requests, enabling attackers to forge requests that appear to originate from legitimate users. This particular weakness allows for the insertion of cross-site scripting sequences, which can be executed within the context of the victim's browser session, creating a dangerous chain of exploitation opportunities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple session hijacking to include potential data compromise and unauthorized administrative actions. Remote authenticated attackers can leverage this flaw to perform actions that would normally require legitimate user credentials, including the injection of malicious JavaScript code that could exfiltrate sensitive data, modify contract information, or even escalate privileges within the system. The vulnerability's presence across multiple major version releases indicates a fundamental flaw in the application's security architecture that persisted through several software iterations.
This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through social engineering and T1213.002 for data from information repositories. The exploitation requires minimal privileges since the attacker only needs to be authenticated to the system, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users maintain access to sensitive contract management systems. Organizations utilizing this software face significant risk of unauthorized data manipulation and potential exposure of confidential contractual information.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust CSRF token validation mechanisms throughout the application's request handling process. The most effective approach involves deploying unique, unpredictable tokens for each user session that are validated on every state-changing request. Additionally, organizations should enforce proper origin validation and implement Content Security Policies to prevent unauthorized script execution. Regular patching and updating of the IBM Emptoris Contract Management software to the latest available fixes is essential, as IBM has released specific iFixes addressing this vulnerability. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should also be deployed to detect anomalous user behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.