CVE-2016-5974 in Security Privileged Identity Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Web UI in IBM Security Privileged Identity Manager (ISPIM) Virtual Appliance 2.x before 2.0.2 FP8 allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via an embedded string.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/26/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5974 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the web user interface of IBM Security Privileged Identity Manager Virtual Appliance version 2.x prior to 2.0.2 FP8. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is a pervasive and dangerous class of security flaw that enables attackers to inject malicious scripts into web applications. The specific weakness lies in the improper sanitization 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' sessions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when authenticated users interact with the web-based management interface of the privileged identity manager appliance. Attackers can leverage this flaw by embedding malicious strings within input fields or parameters that are not properly validated or escaped before being rendered back to the user's browser. This allows for the execution of malicious JavaScript code, which can potentially steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The authenticated nature of the attack means that the threat actor must already have valid credentials to the system, though this access point could be leveraged to escalate privileges or compromise other users within the same administrative environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive privileged accounts and potentially compromise the entire privileged identity management infrastructure. In environments where IBM Security Privileged Identity Manager is used to control access to critical systems and databases, this vulnerability could allow attackers to execute privileged commands or access restricted information. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it operates within the administrative interface, potentially enabling attackers to manipulate privileged user accounts, modify access controls, or extract sensitive authentication information. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental failure in input validation and output encoding practices within the web application layer.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of IBM's security patches, specifically targeting the 2.0.2 FP8 update or later versions that address this XSS weakness. Security teams should implement additional monitoring and logging of user activities within the privileged identity manager interface to detect potential exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and access controls should be reviewed to limit the blast radius of potential attacks, while web application firewalls can provide additional protection layers against malicious script injection attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, where adversaries leverage XSS vulnerabilities to execute malicious code within user sessions. Regular security assessments and input validation testing should be conducted to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of the privileged identity management ecosystem, as this flaw represents a significant risk to enterprise security postures where privileged access controls are critical for maintaining system integrity and data protection.