CVE-2016-0343 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 obtain sensitive information by reading an error message. IBM X-Force ID: 111784.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/04/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0343 affects IBM TRIRIGA Application Platform versions prior to specific patch levels, creating a significant information disclosure risk for remote authenticated attackers. This issue manifests through error message handling mechanisms that inadvertently expose sensitive system information to unauthorized users who have legitimate authentication credentials. The vulnerability resides within the platform's error reporting functionality where insufficient sanitization of error messages allows attackers to extract potentially sensitive data about the system configuration, internal structures, or operational details.
This flaw represents a classic information disclosure vulnerability that can be categorized under CWE-209, which deals with generation of error message containing sensitive information. The vulnerability operates through the platform's authentication mechanisms where legitimate users can leverage their credentials to access error messages that contain system-specific details. Attackers can exploit this by performing authenticated operations that trigger error conditions, thereby gaining insights into the underlying system architecture, database configurations, or other sensitive operational data that should remain hidden from regular users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information gathering as it provides attackers with valuable reconnaissance data that can be used for subsequent attacks. The sensitive information obtained through this vulnerability may include database connection strings, file paths, system configurations, or internal service endpoints that could facilitate more sophisticated exploitation attempts. This information disclosure can enable attackers to craft more targeted attacks against the platform, potentially leading to privilege escalation, data breaches, or system compromise. The vulnerability affects multiple version streams of the TRIRIGA platform, indicating a widespread issue that impacts organizations using these specific releases.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching to address the information disclosure issue. The recommended mitigation involves upgrading to the patched versions 3.3.2.6, 3.4.2.3, and 3.5.0.1 which contain fixes for the error message handling mechanisms. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring to detect unusual patterns of authenticated access that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security controls should be enhanced to ensure that error messages do not contain system-specific details that could aid attackers in understanding the platform's internal structure. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1211 which involves exploiting error handling mechanisms to gather intelligence about systems and applications.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the importance of proper error message handling in enterprise applications and demonstrate how seemingly minor security flaws can create significant risks. Organizations should establish comprehensive security testing procedures that include error message review to prevent similar issues. The vulnerability also underscores the need for defense-in-depth strategies where multiple layers of security controls work together to protect against various attack vectors. Proper input validation and error handling practices should be enforced across all application components to minimize the risk of information disclosure through error conditions. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include checks for similar error handling issues to maintain robust security postures.