CVE-2015-7455 in WebSphere Portal
Summary
by MITRE
IBM WebSphere Portal 7.x through 7.0.0.2 CF29, 8.0.x before 8.0.0.1 CF20, and 8.5.x before 8.5.0.0 CF09 uses weak permissions for content items, which allows remote authenticated users to make modifications via the authoring UI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/01/2019
IBM WebSphere Portal versions 7.x through 7.0.0.2 CF29, 8.0.x before 8.0.0.1 CF20, and 8.5.x before 8.5.0.0 CF09 contain a critical access control vulnerability that stems from improper permission enforcement for content items within the portal framework. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-284 access control weakness category, specifically representing an improper access control flaw that allows unauthorized modifications to portal content. The vulnerability exists within the authoring user interface where authenticated users can exploit weak permission controls to make unauthorized modifications to content items that should be restricted to specific administrative roles.
The technical flaw manifests as insufficient validation of user privileges when processing content modification requests through the web-based authoring interface. Attackers who have authenticated access to the portal system can leverage this weakness to escalate their privileges or bypass intended access restrictions that should prevent standard users from modifying content that requires administrative authorization. This weakness creates a pathway for privilege escalation attacks where authenticated users can modify content items that they should not have access to based on their assigned roles and permissions within the portal's security model.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple content modification as it represents a significant security breach that could enable attackers to compromise the integrity of portal content, inject malicious code, or manipulate sensitive information. Remote authenticated attackers can exploit this vulnerability without requiring additional authentication mechanisms or specialized tools, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users have access to the portal system. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on WebSphere Portal for content management and collaboration, potentially allowing attackers to alter critical business content or undermine the trustworthiness of the portal's information.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant IBM security patches and hotfixes that address the permission enforcement weakness in the authoring UI. System administrators should review and tighten access control policies for portal content items, ensuring that appropriate role-based access controls are properly configured and enforced. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 legitimate credentials, as it allows attackers to exploit existing authenticated sessions to perform unauthorized modifications. Additional defensive measures include monitoring access logs for suspicious content modification activities and implementing network segmentation to limit access to the portal's authoring interface to only authorized personnel. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as content integrity checks and automated monitoring systems that can detect unauthorized content changes that may indicate exploitation of this vulnerability.