CVE-2016-5977 in Tealeaf Customer Experience
Summary
by MITRE
Open redirect vulnerability in the web portal in IBM Tealeaf Customer Experience before 8.7.1.8847 FP10, 8.8 before 8.8.0.9049 FP9, 9.0.0 and 9.0.1 before 9.0.1.1117 FP5, 9.0.1A before 9.0.1.5108_9.0.1A FP5, 9.0.2 before 9.0.2.1223 FP3, and 9.0.2A before 9.0.2.5224_9.0.2A FP3 allows remote authenticated users to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via unspecified vectors.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/26/2019
The CVE-2016-5977 vulnerability represents a critical open redirect flaw within IBM Tealeaf Customer Experience web portal implementations across multiple version branches. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to the respective patch levels mentioned in the advisory, creating a significant security risk for organizations utilizing these systems. The flaw resides in the web portal's handling of user redirection mechanisms, which can be manipulated by authenticated attackers to redirect users to malicious external domains. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-601 Open Redirect vulnerability category, which is classified as a security weakness where web applications fail to validate or properly sanitize redirect parameters. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires only authenticated access, meaning that legitimate users with valid credentials can exploit this flaw to conduct phishing attacks against other users within the same organization or system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the web portal's redirect functionality. When authenticated users make requests that involve redirect parameters, the application fails to properly verify that the target URL belongs to the trusted domain or that it adheres to acceptable redirection policies. This allows attackers to craft malicious redirect URLs that point to phishing sites or malicious domains designed to capture user credentials or sensitive information. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Tealeaf Customer Experience systems are used for customer interaction tracking and analytics, as these systems often contain sensitive user data and business-critical information. The flaw can be exploited through various vectors including but not limited to login pages, dashboard navigation, and customer interaction tracking features within the portal.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple phishing attacks, creating a comprehensive threat vector that can be leveraged for advanced persistent threats and credential harvesting operations. Attackers can use this vulnerability to create convincing phishing campaigns that appear legitimate to users, as the redirects occur within the trusted Tealeaf environment. This makes the attack more likely to succeed compared to traditional phishing methods, as users are more likely to trust redirects from familiar applications. The vulnerability can also be chained with other exploits to create more sophisticated attack scenarios, potentially leading to privilege escalation or data exfiltration. Organizations using affected versions of IBM Tealeaf Customer Experience face significant risk of credential theft, data compromise, and potential regulatory violations, particularly in industries with strict compliance requirements such as financial services, healthcare, and government sectors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-5977 should prioritize immediate patch deployment across all affected IBM Tealeaf Customer Experience installations, ensuring that systems are updated to the latest available versions that contain the necessary security fixes. Organizations should also implement additional network-level controls including web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious redirect patterns, and establish strict URL validation policies for all redirect parameters within the application. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of the affected software and ensure that proper access controls are in place to limit the scope of potential attackers. The implementation of security awareness training for users can also help mitigate the impact of phishing attacks that may be initiated through this vulnerability. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1566 Phishing and T1071.004 Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols, as it enables attackers to leverage web application weaknesses to deliver malicious content. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous redirect behavior and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing open redirect vulnerabilities to ensure rapid remediation in case of exploitation attempts.