CVE-2016-0253 in Financial Transaction Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM Financial Transaction Manager (FTM) for ACH Services for Multi-Platform 2.1.1.2 and 3.0.0.x before fp0013, Financial Transaction Manager (FTM) for Check Services for Multi-Platform 2.1.1.2 and 3.0.0.x before fp0013, and Financial Transaction Manager (FTM) for Corporate Payment Services (CPS) for Multi-Platform 2.1.1.2 and 3.0.0.x before fp0013 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors. IBM X-Force ID: 110562.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/17/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0253 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within IBM Financial Transaction Manager products across multiple service categories including ACH Services, Check Services, and Corporate Payment Services. This vulnerability affects specific versions of the FTM platform running on Multi-Platform environments, particularly targeting releases 2.1.1.2 and 3.0.0.x series before the fp0013 patch level. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of affected web applications, creating significant security risks for financial institutions relying on these transaction processing systems.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which occurs when web applications fail to properly validate or sanitize user input before incorporating it into dynamic web content. In the context of financial transaction processing systems, this weakness allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that can manipulate user sessions, steal sensitive data, or redirect users to fraudulent websites. The unspecified vectors suggest that the vulnerability may exist across multiple input points within the FTM web interfaces, potentially including transaction entry forms, configuration parameters, or user interface elements that handle user-supplied data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond typical web application security concerns due to the financial nature of the affected systems. Attackers could exploit this weakness to access sensitive transaction data, manipulate payment processing workflows, or compromise user authentication mechanisms within the financial transaction environment. This poses significant risks to financial institutions as the attack surface includes not just general web application functions but also core banking operations and payment processing capabilities. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to execute code in the browser context of authenticated users, potentially leading to complete session hijacking or unauthorized transaction processing.
Organizations utilizing affected IBM FTM versions should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of the fp0013 patch releases or equivalent security updates. System administrators must also implement network-level mitigations including web application firewalls and input validation controls to reduce the attack surface while awaiting official patches. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches in financial systems where the consequences of exploitation can include significant financial loss and regulatory compliance violations. Security monitoring should focus on detecting anomalous script injection attempts and unusual transaction processing patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts against this vulnerability.