CVE-2016-5953 in Sterling Order Management
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Sterling Order Management transmits the session identifier within the URL. When a user is unable to view a certain view due to not being allowed permissions, the website responds with an error page where the session identifier is encoded as Base64 in the URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/09/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5953 affects IBM Sterling Order Management systems where session identifiers are transmitted within URLs rather than through secure HTTP headers or cookies. This flaw represents a critical security oversight that directly violates fundamental web application security principles and exposes organizations to significant risks. The improper handling of session management creates a persistent vulnerability that can be exploited by malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to sensitive business operations and customer data.
This vulnerability stems from the application's failure to implement proper session management protocols, specifically the transmission of session identifiers via URL parameters instead of secure storage mechanisms. The session identifier is encoded using Base64 encoding, which while not encryption, still provides sufficient information to an attacker to potentially hijack user sessions. When users encounter permission denied errors, the system inadvertently exposes their session tokens in error pages, creating an attack surface that persists beyond the initial error condition. This behavior aligns with CWE-200, which addresses information exposure through improper error handling, and CWE-384, which covers session management weaknesses in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, affecting both the confidentiality and integrity of business operations. Attackers can exploit this flaw to intercept session identifiers from URL parameters, potentially gaining access to privileged user accounts and sensitive order management data. The exposure occurs during routine error conditions, making it particularly insidious as it can be discovered through normal system usage patterns without requiring sophisticated attack techniques. This vulnerability directly enables session hijacking attacks, which fall under the ATT&CK framework category of T1566 for credential harvesting through social engineering and T1075 for remote access through legitimate credentials. Organizations using IBM Sterling Order Management face potential data breaches, unauthorized access to customer orders, and disruption of business operations that could result in significant financial and reputational damage.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of secure session management practices that align with industry standards and best practices. Organizations must ensure that session identifiers are transmitted exclusively through secure HTTP headers or cookies with appropriate security attributes such as HttpOnly, Secure, and SameSite flags. The system should be configured to prevent session tokens from appearing in URLs, error messages, or log files, which directly addresses the CWE-200 and CWE-384 categories. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and error handling mechanisms that do not expose session information is essential. Regular security testing and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities, while network monitoring tools can help detect potential exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include updating the IBM Sterling Order Management system to versions that properly implement session management protocols and conducting comprehensive security assessments to ensure no other similar vulnerabilities exist within the application stack.