CVE-2016-0217 in Cognos Business Intelligence
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Cognos Business Intelligence and IBM Cognos Analytics are vulnerable to stored cross-site scripting, caused by improper validation of user-supplied input. A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to inject malicious script into a Web page which would be executed in a victim's Web browser within the security context of the hosting Web site, once the page is viewed. An attacker could use this vulnerability to steal the victim's cookie-based authentication credentials.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/08/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0217 affects IBM Cognos Business Intelligence and IBM Cognos Analytics platforms, representing a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw that undermines the security integrity of web applications. This vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied input within the application's data processing pipeline, creating an exploitable condition where malicious code can be persistently stored and later executed. The flaw exists in the web interface components that handle user-generated content, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that become permanently embedded within the application's database or storage mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability follows the CWE-079 pattern for cross-site scripting, specifically manifesting as a stored XSS attack vector that operates through the application's user input handling mechanisms. When legitimate users view web pages containing the maliciously injected content, their browsers execute the embedded scripts within the security context of the vulnerable application, effectively bypassing normal security boundaries. This execution context allows the malicious code to access and manipulate session cookies, which contain authentication tokens that are typically used for user identification and authorization within web applications.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to organizations utilizing IBM Cognos platforms, as it enables attackers to establish persistent access to user sessions without requiring additional authentication credentials. The stolen cookie-based authentication credentials could provide attackers with elevated privileges within the business intelligence environment, potentially granting access to sensitive financial reports, operational data, and strategic business information. The remote exploitation nature of this vulnerability means that attackers can initiate attacks from any location without requiring physical access to the target network or application infrastructure.
The attack vector operates through a multi-stage process where initial exploitation involves crafting malicious input that gets stored within the application's database or content management system. Once stored, the malicious content becomes part of the regular application output when legitimate users access affected pages, triggering automatic execution of the embedded scripts. This persistent nature of stored XSS makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple users over extended periods without requiring repeated exploitation attempts. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation controls, output encoding mechanisms, and regular security assessments to prevent such vulnerabilities from being exploited.
Security practitioners should reference the ATT&CK framework's T1059.008 technique for scripting languages and T1566.001 for social engineering, as these attack patterns align with the exploitation methodology of stored XSS vulnerabilities. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-079 highlights the need for robust application security controls including proper input sanitization, context-aware output encoding, and regular security code reviews. Mitigation strategies should include implementing Content Security Policy headers, deploying web application firewalls, conducting regular penetration testing, and establishing secure coding practices that prevent user input from being directly embedded into web page content without proper validation and sanitization measures.