CVE-2016-3029 in Security Access Manager For Web
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Security Access Manager for Web is vulnerable to cross-site request forgery which could allow an attacker to execute malicious and unauthorized actions transmitted from a user that the website trusts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/09/2020
IBM Security Access Manager for Web contains a cross-site request forgery vulnerability that enables attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. This weakness stems from the application's insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation in critical administrative functions. The vulnerability exists within the web application's authentication and authorization mechanisms, where user sessions are not adequately protected against malicious request manipulation. Attackers can exploit this flaw by crafting malicious web pages or links that, when clicked by an authenticated user, automatically submit requests to the vulnerable application without the user's knowledge or consent.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate the application's administrative functions through forged requests that appear legitimate to the server. This occurs because the application fails to validate the referer header or implement proper CSRF tokens for sensitive operations. The vulnerability specifically affects the web application's ability to distinguish between legitimate user-initiated requests and those generated by malicious actors. According to CWE-352, this represents a classic cross-site request forgery weakness where the application trusts requests without proper origin verification or token validation. The attack vector typically involves embedding malicious code within web pages that target the vulnerable IBM Security Access Manager instance, leveraging the trust relationship between the application and its authenticated users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows attackers to perform administrative actions within the security access manager without proper authorization. An attacker could potentially modify user access permissions, create new user accounts, or alter security policies that control access to protected resources. This compromise directly undermines the application's core security functions and could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive systems and data. The vulnerability affects the integrity and availability of the security infrastructure, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges or establish persistent access within the protected environment. Organizations relying on IBM Security Access Manager for Web may experience unauthorized access to critical security controls, leading to potential data breaches and compliance violations.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF protection mechanisms throughout the application's administrative interfaces. Organizations should ensure that all state-changing requests require proper CSRF tokens that are validated server-side before processing. The implementation should include automatic token generation and validation for each user session, along with proper referer header validation where applicable. According to ATT&CK technique T1531, attackers often exploit CSRF vulnerabilities to maintain persistence within compromised environments, making immediate remediation critical. Security controls should also include regular monitoring for suspicious administrative activities and implementation of multi-factor authentication for administrative functions. IBM recommends applying the latest security patches and updates to address this vulnerability, while organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their web applications to identify and remediate similar CSRF weaknesses in other systems.