CVE-2015-7445 in Multi-Enterprise Integration Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Multi-Enterprise Integration Gateway 1.0 through 1.0.0.1 and B2B Advanced Communications 1.x before 1.0.0.4, when guest access is configured, allow remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive information by reading error messages in responses.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/26/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7445 affects IBM Multi-Enterprise Integration Gateway versions 1.0 through 1.0.0.1 and B2B Advanced Communications 1.x versions before 1.0.0.4. This issue represents a sensitive data exposure vulnerability that occurs when guest access is configured within the system. The flaw manifests through error message disclosure, where authenticated users can exploit the system to read detailed error responses that contain sensitive information. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-200 category of Information Exposure, specifically related to error messages that reveal system internals or sensitive data. The security implications are significant as the error messages may contain system paths, database information, or other internal details that could aid attackers in subsequent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability is classified as a remote authenticated threat, meaning that an attacker must first establish authentication credentials but does not require privileged access to exploit the information disclosure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate error handling within the IBM integration gateway systems. When guest access is enabled and authenticated users make requests that trigger system errors, the error responses are not properly sanitized before being returned to the client. This results in the exposure of sensitive information that should remain confidential within the system's internal operations. The error messages may contain stack traces, internal system paths, database connection details, or other diagnostic information that provides attackers with valuable insights into the system architecture. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it leverages legitimate authentication mechanisms to access information that should be protected even within authenticated sessions. This type of information disclosure aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213.001 for Data from Information Repositories and represents a classic case of insufficient logging and monitoring controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates a foundation for more sophisticated attacks. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can gather intelligence about the underlying system architecture, which may enable them to plan targeted attacks against specific components or identify additional vulnerabilities. The exposed information could include database schemas, file paths, or system configurations that would normally be restricted to authorized personnel only. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where integration gateways handle sensitive business data and communications between different systems. Organizations may experience compliance violations if sensitive information is disclosed, as this could breach regulations such as pci dss, hipaa, or gdpr requirements. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality aspect of the CIA triad and could potentially lead to privilege escalation or other attack vectors when combined with additional reconnaissance efforts.
Organizations should implement several mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability effectively. The primary recommendation involves patching the affected systems with the vendor-provided security updates that resolve the error handling issues. IBM released specific fixes for this vulnerability in subsequent versions of both the Multi-Enterprise Integration Gateway and B2B Advanced Communications products. Additionally, system administrators should review and modify the error handling configurations to ensure that error messages returned to clients do not contain sensitive information. This includes implementing proper logging mechanisms that capture detailed error information internally while providing generic error responses to external users. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. The mitigation approach should align with security frameworks such as nist cybersecurity framework and iso 27001 controls for information security management. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to verify that error handling configurations are properly implemented and that no additional information disclosure vulnerabilities exist within the system landscape.