CVE-2016-9010 in WebSphere Message Broker
Summary
by MITRE
IBM WebSphere Message Broker 9.0 and 10.0 could allow a remote attacker to hijack the clicking action of the victim. By persuading a victim to visit a malicious Web site, a remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to hijack the victim's click actions and possibly launch further attacks against the victim. IBM Reference #: 1997906.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/15/2020
This vulnerability in IBM WebSphere Message Broker version 9.0 and 10.0 represents a significant web-based attack vector that exploits cross-site scripting flaws in the messaging infrastructure. The vulnerability specifically enables remote attackers to manipulate user interactions through click hijacking techniques, effectively taking control of user clicking actions on web interfaces. The attack exploits the browser's handling of user events and potentially allows for session manipulation or redirection to malicious content. This issue falls under the category of client-side attacks that leverage web application vulnerabilities to compromise user sessions and potentially escalate to more severe security incidents. The vulnerability demonstrates how enterprise messaging systems that provide web interfaces can become attack vectors for sophisticated social engineering campaigns.
The technical flaw manifests through improper input validation and event handling within the web components of IBM WebSphere Message Broker. Attackers can craft malicious web content that, when viewed by an authenticated user, intercepts and redirects click events intended for legitimate application interfaces. This type of vulnerability typically occurs when web applications fail to properly sanitize user input or when event handlers do not adequately validate the source and integrity of user interactions. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the user interface level, where it can directly impact user behavior and potentially bypass traditional security controls. This weakness is categorized as a cross-site scripting vulnerability that specifically targets user interaction patterns rather than data exfiltration or code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple click hijacking to potentially enable more complex attack chains. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could redirect users to malicious sites, steal session tokens, or manipulate user workflows within the messaging broker interface. The attack requires user interaction through visiting a malicious website, making it a social engineering vector that could be combined with other techniques to achieve broader compromise objectives. This vulnerability essentially undermines the trust model between users and the web interface, as users cannot be certain that their clicking actions will be directed to the intended targets. Organizations using IBM WebSphere Message Broker in environments where users may encounter untrusted web content face significant risk of unauthorized access and potential data compromise.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability, including immediate patching of affected systems to the latest IBM WebSphere Message Broker releases that contain security fixes. Network segmentation and web application firewalls should be deployed to monitor and filter potentially malicious web traffic targeting these interfaces. User education programs should emphasize the importance of avoiding untrusted websites and suspicious links, particularly when accessing enterprise messaging systems. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual click patterns or navigation behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering tactics, and CWE-79 which addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments of web interfaces and proper input validation controls should be implemented as ongoing measures to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of the messaging infrastructure.