CVE-2016-2938 in iNotes
Summary
by MITRE
IBM iNotes is vulnerable to cross-site scripting. This vulnerability allows users to embed arbitrary JavaScript code in the Web UI thus altering the intended functionality potentially leading to credentials disclosure within a trusted session.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-2938 affects IBM iNotes, a web-based email and collaboration application that forms part of IBM's Domino server platform. This cross-site scripting vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of the application's web interface and potentially compromises user sessions. The vulnerability exists within the web user interface components of iNotes, where input validation mechanisms fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it in the browser environment. This weakness creates an opportunity for attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes within the context of legitimate user sessions, effectively bypassing traditional security boundaries.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. The flaw manifests when iNotes fails to adequately filter or escape user input that gets processed and displayed within the web interface, allowing attackers to craft malicious payloads that can be executed in the browser of unsuspecting users. The vulnerability particularly impacts the authentication and session management components of iNotes, as the injected JavaScript code can potentially access session cookies, form data, and other sensitive information that is normally protected by the browser's security model. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specially formatted messages or web requests that contain malicious script code, which then executes when legitimate users view the affected content.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-2938 extends beyond simple data theft, as it enables attackers to perform session hijacking and credential harvesting within trusted user sessions. When users interact with maliciously crafted content within the iNotes interface, the injected JavaScript can capture authentication tokens, steal session cookies, and potentially redirect users to phishing sites that mimic legitimate iNotes interfaces. This vulnerability can be leveraged in targeted attacks against specific users or organizations, particularly when combined with social engineering techniques that encourage users to click on malicious links or open compromised emails. The attack surface is broad since iNotes is commonly used for internal corporate communications, making it a valuable target for both external attackers seeking to compromise enterprise networks and internal threat actors with access to the organization's email infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should encompass both immediate defensive measures and long-term architectural improvements. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent malicious code injection, following established security practices outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and related security frameworks. The IBM recommended solution involves applying the appropriate security patches and updates to iNotes versions that address this specific vulnerability. Additionally, network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content security policies can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. From an operational security perspective, organizations should conduct regular security assessments of their web applications, implement proper security monitoring for anomalous user behavior, and establish incident response procedures specifically designed to handle cross-site scripting attacks. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security training for users to recognize potentially malicious content and the necessity of maintaining up-to-date security patches across all enterprise applications.