CVE-2016-3038 in Cognos TM1
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Cognos TM1 10.1 and 10.2 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. IBM X-Force ID: 114614.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/31/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-3038 affects IBM Cognos TM1 versions 10.1 and 10.2, representing a critical cross-site scripting flaw that compromises the security integrity of the web-based user interface. This vulnerability resides within the application's input validation mechanisms, where user-supplied data fails to be properly sanitized before being rendered back to the browser. The flaw enables malicious actors to inject malicious JavaScript code through web interface elements, potentially exploiting the trust relationship between the user's browser and the application server. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws, where improper validation or sanitization of user input allows attackers to execute scripts in the context of other users' sessions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it creates a potential pathway for credential theft and session hijacking within trusted environments. When authenticated users interact with the compromised TM1 interface, the injected JavaScript code can capture session cookies, form data, or other sensitive information transmitted between the client and server. This represents a significant risk in enterprise environments where TM1 serves as a business intelligence platform handling sensitive financial and operational data. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal privileges, as it leverages existing authenticated sessions to execute malicious code, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users maintain persistent access to critical business intelligence systems.
The attack vector for this vulnerability typically involves an attacker identifying input fields or parameters within the TM1 web interface that do not properly validate or escape user input. Once a malicious payload is injected, it executes in the context of the victim's browser session, potentially allowing for complete session takeover or data exfiltration. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which focuses on establishing persistence through malicious scripts in web applications. The threat landscape surrounding this vulnerability demonstrates that attackers often target enterprise BI platforms due to their privileged access to sensitive organizational data and the relatively low effort required to exploit such flaws.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding controls to prevent user-supplied data from being executed as scripts. The recommended approach involves deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious script injection patterns, while also implementing proper content security policies to restrict script execution within the application environment. IBM has released patches and updates addressing this vulnerability, and organizations should prioritize applying these security updates to prevent exploitation. Additionally, security awareness training for administrators and users can help identify potential exploitation attempts, while monitoring for unusual script execution patterns in web server logs can provide early detection capabilities. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that the applied patches do not introduce regressions in application functionality while maintaining the security integrity of the TM1 platform.