CVE-2016-2955 in Connections
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM Connections 5.0 before CR4 and 5.5 before CR1 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/14/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-2955 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in IBM Connections software versions prior to specific cumulative releases. This vulnerability affects IBM Connections 5.0 before CR4 and 5.5 before CR1, exposing organizations to potential security risks through malicious web script injection. The flaw permits remote authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of the victim's browser, creating a significant threat vector for attackers seeking to compromise user sessions or extract sensitive information.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the IBM Connections platform. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that exploit unspecified vectors within the application's processing logic. These unspecified vectors likely encompass various user input fields, parameter handling mechanisms, or data processing pathways that fail to properly sanitize or encode user-supplied content before rendering it in web responses. The vulnerability operates at the application layer where user-generated content is processed and displayed, creating opportunities for attackers to inject malicious code that executes in the context of legitimate user sessions.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-2955 extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, steal cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or access sensitive organizational data. Since the vulnerability requires authentication, attackers must first compromise valid user credentials or exploit other authentication bypass mechanisms. However, once authenticated, the attacker can leverage this XSS flaw to escalate privileges or access restricted functionality within the IBM Connections environment. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of user sessions, potentially allowing unauthorized access to collaboration features, shared documents, and personal information stored within the platform.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the recommended cumulative releases CR4 for IBM Connections 5.0 and CR1 for IBM Connections 5.5 to address this vulnerability. Additional defensive measures include implementing comprehensive input validation, output encoding, and content security policies to prevent malicious script execution. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for scripting languages and T1566 for credential access through social engineering. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls, regular security scanning, and user awareness training to reduce the attack surface and prevent exploitation of this and similar vulnerabilities.