CVE-2016-5905 in Maximo Asset Management
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in IBM Maximo Asset Management 7.5 before 7.5.0.10 IF3 and 7.6 before 7.6.0.5 IF2 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/13/2019
The cross-site scripting vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5905 affects IBM Maximo Asset Management versions prior to specific maintenance releases, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the application's input validation mechanisms. This vulnerability resides within the web application layer of the asset management platform, where user-supplied data is not properly sanitized before being rendered in web pages. The flaw allows authenticated attackers to execute malicious scripts within the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, session hijacking, or privilege escalation. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects both the 7.5 and 7.6 product lines, indicating a widespread issue across multiple versions of the software. According to CWE classification, this represents a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability categorized under CWE-79, which specifically addresses the improper neutralization of input during web page generation. The vulnerability's presence in IBM Maximo Asset Management creates a significant risk for organizations that rely on this platform for critical asset management operations, as the system's integrity and user data confidentiality are compromised. The attack vector leverages the authenticated nature of the vulnerability, meaning that an attacker must first establish a valid user session, but once achieved, can manipulate the application's behavior through malicious script injection.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation and sanitization of user inputs within the web interface components of Maximo Asset Management. Attackers can exploit this weakness by submitting malicious payloads through various input fields that are subsequently processed and displayed without proper encoding or filtering. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that multiple entry points within the application may be susceptible to this type of injection, including forms, parameters, or data fields used for asset tracking, work order management, or reporting functions. This broad scope of potential attack surfaces increases the exploitability factor and makes comprehensive patching more challenging for system administrators. The vulnerability's nature aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531, which focuses on the use of malicious inputs to manipulate application behavior, and T1059, which addresses the execution of malicious code through web-based attack vectors. The authenticated requirement means that attackers must have legitimate user credentials, but this access level provides sufficient privileges to conduct persistent attacks that could compromise entire user sessions or access sensitive organizational data. The attack could potentially lead to unauthorized access to critical business information, disruption of asset management workflows, or the establishment of persistent backdoors within the organization's infrastructure.
Organizations utilizing IBM Maximo Asset Management versions affected by CVE-2016-5905 face substantial operational risks that extend beyond simple data exposure. The vulnerability creates opportunities for attackers to manipulate asset records, alter maintenance schedules, or compromise the integrity of the entire asset management database. This could result in significant financial losses due to incorrect asset tracking, unauthorized equipment access, or disruption of critical maintenance operations. The authenticated nature of the vulnerability means that attackers could potentially escalate privileges within the system, especially if they can gain access to accounts with elevated permissions. The impact on business continuity is considerable, as asset management systems are often critical to operational workflows, and any compromise could lead to extended downtime or incorrect decision-making based on manipulated data. System administrators must also consider the potential for this vulnerability to serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks, where the initial XSS compromise could lead to further exploitation through techniques such as credential theft or lateral movement within the network. The vulnerability's presence in both major product lines indicates that organizations may need to perform comprehensive security assessments across their entire Maximo deployment landscape, potentially affecting numerous business units that depend on asset management capabilities. Compliance considerations also become critical, as this vulnerability could result in violations of data protection regulations and industry standards that require robust security controls over sensitive business information.
The recommended mitigation strategy for CVE-2016-5905 involves immediate deployment of the vendor-provided security patches and updates for IBM Maximo Asset Management. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to the fixed versions 7.5.0.10 IF3 and 7.6.0.5 IF2, which contain the necessary code modifications to address the input validation weaknesses. System administrators should also implement additional defensive measures including enhanced input validation, output encoding, and web application firewalls to provide layered protection. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can help mitigate the impact of potential exploitation attempts, while regular security monitoring and log analysis should be enhanced to detect suspicious activities related to user input manipulation. Organizations should conduct thorough testing of the patches in staging environments before production deployment to ensure compatibility with existing customizations and integrations. Security teams must also review and update their incident response procedures to address potential exploitation attempts, while conducting user awareness training to help identify suspicious activities that may indicate attempted exploitation of this vulnerability. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing comprehensive security monitoring practices. Organizations should also consider conducting regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify similar weaknesses in other applications and systems within their infrastructure, ensuring that the security posture remains robust against evolving threats.