CVE-2016-0221 in Cognos Business Intelligence
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM Cognos TM1, as used in IBM Cognos Business Intelligence 10.2 before IF20, 10.2.1 before IF17, 10.2.1.1 before IF16, 10.2.2 before IF12, and 10.1.1 before IF19, allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0221 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM Cognos TM1 components that are integrated into IBM Cognos Business Intelligence platforms. This security weakness affects multiple versions of the software including 10.2 before IF20, 10.2.1 before IF17, 10.2.1.1 before IF16, 10.2.2 before IF12, and 10.1.1 before IF19, creating a significant attack surface for malicious actors targeting enterprise business intelligence systems. The flaw resides in the improper validation and sanitization of user-supplied input within URL parameters, specifically within the TM1 web application interface that serves as a critical component for business analytics and reporting within organizations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when authenticated users navigate to a specially crafted URL containing malicious script code that gets executed within the context of other users' browsers. This occurs because the application fails to properly sanitize or escape user input before rendering it in web pages, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary HTML or JavaScript code that persists in the application's response. The vulnerability is classified as a persistent XSS attack vector since the malicious content can be stored and subsequently executed whenever other users access the affected application components. The flaw specifically affects the URL parameter handling within the TM1 web interface, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through normal application usage patterns without requiring complex attack vectors.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability poses severe risks to organizations utilizing IBM Cognos Business Intelligence platforms, as it enables attackers to execute malicious code in the context of authenticated sessions. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users, access sensitive business intelligence data, or redirect users to malicious websites. The authenticated nature of the attack means that adversaries need only obtain valid user credentials to exploit the vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where privileged access to business intelligence systems is common. This weakness directly violates security principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten, specifically addressing the critical issue of XSS vulnerabilities that can lead to complete application compromise.
The impact extends beyond simple script injection as it can facilitate more sophisticated attacks including session hijacking, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation within the business intelligence environment. Attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability to access confidential financial reports, strategic business data, or sensitive performance metrics that are typically protected within enterprise BI systems. The vulnerability's presence in multiple versions of the IBM Cognos platform creates widespread exposure across organizations that have not yet applied the necessary security patches, making it an attractive target for cybercriminals seeking to exploit enterprise analytics systems. Organizations implementing the affected versions should consider this vulnerability as a high-priority security concern requiring immediate remediation.
Security mitigations for CVE-2016-0221 primarily involve applying the official IBM security patches and updates released for the affected versions of IBM Cognos Business Intelligence. Organizations should also implement input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in custom applications that interact with the affected systems. Network segmentation and access controls can help limit the potential impact of exploitation by restricting access to the vulnerable components. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in the broader enterprise application ecosystem, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization practices that align with CWE-79 standards for preventing cross-site scripting attacks. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and content security policies can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability class.