CVE-2016-3001 in Connections
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Web UI in IBM Connections 4.x through 4.5 CR5, 5.0 before CR4, and 5.5 before CR1 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via an embedded string, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-3003 and CVE-2016-3006.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/26/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-3001 represents a cross-site scripting flaw within the web user interface of IBM Connections software across multiple versions including 4.x through 4.5 CR5, 5.0 before CR4, and 5.5 before CR1. This security weakness specifically affects the application's handling of user input within the web interface, creating an avenue for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability operates by allowing authenticated users to inject malicious content through embedded strings, which then gets executed when other users view the affected content. This particular vulnerability is distinct from related issues CVE-2016-3003 and CVE-2016-3006, indicating it represents a unique code path or input validation flaw within the IBM Connections platform.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms within the IBM Connections web UI components. When authenticated users submit content containing malicious scripts or HTML tags, the application fails to properly validate or escape these inputs before rendering them in the user interface. This allows attackers to craft payloads that can execute within the security context of other authenticated users who view the compromised content. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authentication to exploit, meaning that legitimate users with valid credentials can potentially become vectors for malicious activity. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws where improper validation of input allows malicious scripts to be injected into web applications. The attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 which describes the use of command and scripting interpreters to execute malicious code, and T1566 which covers the exploitation of web applications through injection attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, data theft, privilege escalation, and further network infiltration. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can potentially access sensitive user data, manipulate content within the IBM Connections environment, and leverage the compromised user sessions to perform actions that the legitimate user could perform. This includes accessing private documents, modifying collaboration content, and potentially using the platform as a launchpad for attacks against other systems within the network. The vulnerability affects the core collaboration features of IBM Connections, which typically include blogs, wikis, forums, and other social collaboration tools where user-generated content is prevalent. Organizations utilizing these platforms face significant risk as the vulnerability can be exploited to compromise the entire collaboration ecosystem, affecting thousands of users who rely on these services for business communication and document sharing. The authenticated nature of the attack means that attackers need only valid user credentials, which can be obtained through various means including credential theft, social engineering, or exploitation of other vulnerabilities within the authentication system.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates for IBM Connections versions affected by this vulnerability. The patching strategy should be prioritized based on the criticality of the affected systems and the potential exposure of sensitive data within the collaboration environment. Additional defensive measures include implementing robust input validation mechanisms, enforcing strict output encoding for all user-generated content, and deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious script injection attempts. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in user activity that might indicate exploitation attempts, and regular security assessments should be conducted to identify other potential vulnerabilities within the IBM Connections deployment. Organizations should also consider implementing content security policies that restrict the execution of scripts within the application context, and establish incident response procedures specifically designed to address XSS vulnerabilities. The mitigation approach should align with industry best practices for web application security as outlined in standards such as OWASP Top 10 and NIST Cybersecurity Framework, ensuring comprehensive protection against this and similar injection vulnerabilities that could compromise the integrity and confidentiality of collaboration platforms.