CVE-2016-0227 in Business Process Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the document-list control implementation in IBM Business Process Manager (BPM) 8.0 through 8.0.1.3, 8.5.0 through 8.5.0.2, and 8.5.5 and 8.5.6 through 8.5.6.2 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2022
The CVE-2016-0227 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM Business Process Manager's document-list control implementation across multiple versions of the platform. This vulnerability specifically affects IBM BPM versions 8.0 through 8.0.1.3, 8.5.0 through 8.5.0.2, and 8.5.5 along with 8.5.6 through 8.5.6.2, creating a significant security risk for organizations utilizing these business process management solutions. The flaw resides in how the system processes and renders URL parameters within the document-list control, which serves as a core component for managing and displaying business documents within the BPM environment.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of URL parameters that are processed by the document-list control implementation. When authenticated users navigate to specifically crafted URLs containing malicious script payloads, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape these inputs before rendering them in the web interface. This improper input handling creates an environment where attackers can inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content that executes in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability specifically targets the document-list control's URL parameter processing mechanism, which is commonly used for filtering, sorting, and displaying document collections within business process applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it enables attackers to potentially execute malicious code in the browsers of authenticated users who interact with the affected BPM system. This could result in session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and unauthorized access to business processes and sensitive information. The authenticated nature of the attack means that attackers must first establish valid credentials to exploit the vulnerability, but once compromised, the impact can be severe as it allows for persistent malicious activities within the business process environment. The vulnerability affects users who have legitimate access to the BPM system, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by insiders or compromised accounts.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability, including input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the document-list control implementation. The recommended approach involves ensuring that all URL parameters are properly sanitized before processing, implementing proper HTML escaping techniques, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious requests. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing content security policies and regular security assessments of their BPM environments. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a significant concern under the ATT&CK framework's T1059 technique for executing malicious code through web interfaces. The remediation strategy should include applying IBM's official security patches and updates, conducting thorough code reviews of custom implementations, and establishing secure coding practices for future development within the BPM platform.