CVE-2015-7451 in Maximo Asset Management
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM Maximo Asset Management 7.5 before 7.5.0.9 IF2 and 7.6 before 7.6.0.3 FP3 and Maximo Asset Management 7.5 before 7.5.0.9 IF2, 7.5.1, and 7.6 before 7.6.0.3 FP3 for SmartCloud Control Desk allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/26/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7451 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM Maximo Asset Management versions prior to specific patch releases. This vulnerability affects both the 7.5 and 7.6 product lines, with impacted versions including 7.5 before 7.5.0.9 IF2, 7.5.1, and 7.6 before 7.6.0.3 FP3 for SmartCloud Control Desk. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data within URL parameters, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of authenticated user sessions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws where web applications fail to properly validate or encode user input before rendering it in web pages. This particular weakness allows remote authenticated attackers to craft malicious URLs that, when accessed by victims, execute unauthorized scripts within their browser context. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authentication to exploit, meaning that legitimate users with valid credentials can be targeted through social engineering or by compromising user sessions.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations utilizing IBM Maximo Asset Management for critical asset tracking and maintenance operations. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, inject malicious content into asset management dashboards, or even escalate privileges within the application. The implications extend beyond simple data theft, as compromised Maximo instances could lead to operational disruptions, unauthorized asset modifications, and potential exposure of sensitive business information.
The attack surface for this vulnerability is particularly broad given that Maximo Asset Management is commonly used for enterprise asset management, maintenance scheduling, and inventory tracking across various industries including manufacturing, utilities, and government sectors. The fact that this vulnerability affects both the 7.5 and 7.6 release lines means that organizations across multiple deployment environments could be at risk, particularly those that have not yet implemented the necessary security patches. This vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers social engineering attacks, as attackers could leverage this weakness to manipulate users into accessing malicious URLs that exploit the XSS flaw.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by applying the vendor-supplied patches for the affected versions, specifically targeting the 7.5.0.9 IF2 and 7.6.0.3 FP3 releases. Additionally, implementing proper input validation controls, output encoding mechanisms, and web application firewalls can provide additional layers of defense. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious URL patterns and unusual user behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in related web applications and ensure that the patched versions are properly deployed across all environments.