CVE-2016-0342 in TRIRIGA Application Platform
Summary
by MITRE
IBM TRIRIGA Application Platform 3.3 before 3.3.2.6, 3.4 before 3.4.2.3, and 3.5 before 3.5.0.1 allows remote authenticated users to read or modify arbitrary reports by leveraging an incorrect grant of access. IBM X-Force ID: 111783.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2016-0342 affects IBM TRIRIGA Application Platform versions prior to specific patch levels, representing a critical access control flaw that enables authenticated remote attackers to manipulate report data. This issue stems from an improper access control implementation that grants unauthorized privileges to legitimate users, allowing them to perform actions beyond their intended permissions. The vulnerability specifically impacts versions 3.3 before 3.3.2.6, 3.4 before 3.4.2.3, and 3.5 before 3.5.0.1, indicating a widespread issue across multiple platform releases that required targeted patching to resolve.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the platform's authorization mechanism, where access controls are improperly enforced for report operations. When authenticated users interact with the system, they can exploit this flaw to access or modify reports that should be restricted to specific user roles or departments. This misconfiguration allows attackers to escalate their privileges within the reporting framework, potentially gaining access to sensitive business intelligence or financial data that should remain confidential. The vulnerability operates at the application layer, where the system fails to properly validate user permissions before executing report-related operations, creating a path for unauthorized data manipulation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data access, as it can lead to significant business disruption and potential financial loss. Attackers with access to the platform can modify critical reports that may influence decision-making processes, potentially causing erroneous business decisions based on falsified data. This vulnerability also poses risks to regulatory compliance, as organizations may be required to maintain audit trails and data integrity for various industry standards. The ability to read arbitrary reports could expose sensitive information about business operations, financial status, or strategic initiatives, while modification capabilities could lead to data corruption or manipulation that affects operational continuity.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches for IBM TRIRIGA Application Platform versions affected by this vulnerability. System administrators must also review and audit existing user permissions to ensure that access controls are properly configured and that users only have access to reports relevant to their roles. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual report access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar access control weaknesses in other enterprise applications, as this vulnerability aligns with CWE-285 which addresses improper authorization in software systems. The attack pattern for this vulnerability follows the MITRE ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the access control mechanisms that should protect sensitive data within enterprise platforms. Organizations should also consider implementing automated patch management processes to ensure timely deployment of security updates and reduce the window of vulnerability exposure.