CVE-2016-2961 in WebSphere Message Broker
Summary
by MITRE
The integration server in IBM Integration Bus 9 before 9.0.0.6 and 10 before 10.0.0.5 and WebSphere Message Broker 8 before 8.0.0.8 allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive Tomcat version information by sending a malformed POST request and then reading the Java stack trace.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/15/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-2961 affects IBM Integration Bus versions prior to 9.0.0.6 and 10.0.0.5, as well as WebSphere Message Broker versions before 8.0.0.8. This issue represents a sensitive information disclosure flaw that arises from improper error handling within the integration server's processing of HTTP requests. The vulnerability manifests when the system receives a malformed POST request, which triggers an uncontrolled error response that inadvertently reveals the underlying Tomcat version information through Java stack trace output. This type of information disclosure vulnerability falls under CWE-200, which specifically addresses the exposure of sensitive information through improper error handling and response generation.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves the integration server's failure to properly sanitize error responses when processing malformed HTTP requests. When a remote attacker crafts and sends a specially constructed POST request that violates expected input parameters or protocol compliance, the server generates an exception that propagates through the Java runtime environment. The resulting Java stack trace contains detailed version information about the embedded Tomcat server, including version numbers and potentially other system-specific details that could aid in subsequent exploitation attempts. This behavior directly violates security best practices for error handling and demonstrates a lack of proper input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the application layer.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with critical intelligence for crafting more sophisticated attacks against the affected systems. The disclosed Tomcat version information enables threat actors to identify potential exploits that may be specific to certain version ranges, potentially leading to privilege escalation, remote code execution, or other serious security compromises. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires minimal effort from attackers to exploit, as the information is exposed automatically upon sending a malformed request without requiring authentication or specialized tools. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1082, which covers system information discovery, and T1068, which addresses exploit for privilege escalation, as the disclosed information can be leveraged to target specific system weaknesses.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches and updates that address the specific error handling issues within the integration server. The recommended approach involves upgrading to the patched versions of IBM Integration Bus and WebSphere Message Broker that contain proper error handling mechanisms and input validation controls. Additionally, network-level mitigations such as implementing web application firewalls and configuring proper HTTP request filtering can help reduce the attack surface by preventing malformed requests from reaching the vulnerable components. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect and alert on unusual patterns of malformed requests that may indicate exploitation attempts, while also ensuring that error responses are properly sanitized to prevent information leakage. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper error handling in security-sensitive applications and underscores the need for comprehensive security testing that includes assessment of error response behaviors.