CVE-2015-7417 in WebSphere Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM WebSphere Application Server 7.0 before 7.0.0.41, 8.0 before 8.0.0.12, and 8.5 before 8.5.5.9 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via crafted data from an OAuth provider.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/18/2024
The CVE-2015-7417 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM WebSphere Application Server versions prior to specific patch levels. This vulnerability specifically affects WebSphere Application Server 7.0 before 7.0.0.41, 8.0 before 8.0.0.12, and 8.5 before 8.5.5.9, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on these platforms for enterprise web applications. The flaw resides in how the application server processes data received from OAuth providers, which are widely used for authentication and authorization services in modern web environments.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the WebSphere Application Server's OAuth integration components. When authenticated users interact with the server through OAuth providers, maliciously crafted data can be injected into the application's response handling mechanisms. This occurs because the server fails to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied data before rendering it in web pages, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code or inject malicious HTML content. The vulnerability specifically leverages the OAuth authentication flow where the server acts as an OAuth consumer, processing responses from OAuth providers that may contain malicious payloads.
Operationally, this vulnerability poses severe risks to organizations using IBM WebSphere Application Server in production environments. Remote authenticated attackers can exploit this flaw to perform session hijacking attacks, steal user credentials, or redirect users to malicious websites. The impact extends beyond simple XSS attacks as attackers could potentially escalate privileges, access sensitive data, or perform actions on behalf of legitimate users. The authentication requirement for exploitation actually makes this vulnerability more dangerous as it can be leveraged by compromised accounts or insider threats, potentially leading to data breaches and system compromise. Organizations with extensive OAuth integrations would be particularly vulnerable since the attack vector involves legitimate authentication flows.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script injection attacks. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches for WebSphere Application Server versions mentioned in the CVE. Additional protective measures include implementing Content Security Policy headers, enabling proper input validation for OAuth responses, and conducting thorough security reviews of all OAuth integrations. Network segmentation and monitoring for suspicious OAuth-related traffic patterns can also help detect potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar flaws in other components of their web application infrastructure. The remediation process requires careful testing of patched versions to ensure compatibility with existing applications while maintaining the security posture of the overall system architecture.