CVE-2016-9714 in Infosphere Master Data Management Server
Summary
by MITRE
IBM InfoSphere Master Data Management Server 10.1, 11.0, 11.3, 11.4, 11.5, and 11.6 is vulnerable to cross-site request forgery which could allow an attacker to execute malicious and unauthorized actions transmitted from a user that the website trusts. IBM X-Force ID: 119727.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/06/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-9714 affects IBM InfoSphere Master Data Management Server versions 10.1 through 11.6, representing a critical cross-site request forgery flaw that undermines the security posture of enterprise master data management systems. This vulnerability resides within the web-based administrative interface of the InfoSphere platform, which is designed to manage critical master data assets across organizations. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of incoming requests, allowing malicious actors to exploit the trust relationship between the web application and legitimate users. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform unauthorized operations on behalf of authenticated users without their knowledge or consent. The vulnerability is particularly concerning given that InfoSphere Master Data Management serves as a central repository for critical business data, making it an attractive target for attackers seeking to compromise enterprise data integrity and availability. The cross-site request forgery mechanism operates by tricking users into executing actions through maliciously crafted web pages that exploit the browser's automatic inclusion of authentication credentials for trusted domains. This attack vector is especially dangerous in enterprise environments where users maintain persistent sessions with elevated privileges within the master data management system.
The technical implementation of this cross-site request forgery vulnerability demonstrates a failure in the application's request validation mechanisms, specifically in how it handles stateful operations within the web interface. The vulnerability occurs when the system fails to properly validate the origin of requests, allowing attackers to construct malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate administrative interfaces. This flaw typically manifests when the application does not implement proper anti-forgery tokens or other mechanisms to verify that requests are genuinely initiated by the authenticated user. The attack requires that users maintain active sessions within the InfoSphere application, making it particularly effective in environments where administrative users frequently interact with the system. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable attackers to modify critical master data records, create new user accounts, alter system configurations, or perform other administrative functions that could severely disrupt business operations. The attack surface is broad since the InfoSphere platform typically handles sensitive data such as customer information, product catalogs, and other master data assets that are fundamental to business operations.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-9714 in enterprise environments can be catastrophic, particularly for organizations relying on InfoSphere Master Data Management for critical business processes. Successful exploitation could result in unauthorized modifications to master data, potentially leading to significant financial losses, compliance violations, or operational disruptions. The vulnerability enables attackers to perform actions that require elevated privileges, including creating new administrative accounts, modifying data definitions, or altering data quality rules that govern how master data is managed within the organization. In large enterprises where master data serves as the foundation for multiple business applications and reporting systems, unauthorized changes to this data could cascade through the entire enterprise ecosystem. The attack can be executed through various means including phishing campaigns, compromised web pages, or social engineering tactics that trick users into clicking malicious links. Organizations may experience extended periods of undetected compromise, as the forged requests would appear legitimate to the system's audit trails and monitoring mechanisms. This vulnerability particularly affects the integrity and availability of master data, which are fundamental to enterprise data governance and regulatory compliance frameworks such as those required by SOX, GDPR, or other data protection regulations. The potential for data corruption or manipulation through this vulnerability could result in significant business disruption and legal consequences.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations to address this cross-site request forgery vulnerability in their InfoSphere Master Data Management environments. The most effective approach involves implementing proper anti-forgery token mechanisms that validate the authenticity of requests originating from the web interface. Security patches provided by IBM should be applied immediately to all affected versions of the InfoSphere platform, as these updates typically include fixes for the underlying CSRF validation mechanisms. Network segmentation and access controls should be enhanced to limit exposure of the administrative interfaces to trusted networks only, while implementing additional authentication layers such as multi-factor authentication for administrative access. Monitoring and logging should be strengthened to detect suspicious patterns of administrative activity that might indicate exploitation attempts, including unusual timing of administrative operations or access from unexpected locations. Security awareness training for administrators and users should be conducted to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks that could lead to exploitation of this vulnerability. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious requests that attempt to exploit CSRF vulnerabilities. The implementation of proper session management controls, including session timeout mechanisms and secure cookie attributes, can further reduce the attack surface. From a compliance perspective, organizations must ensure that their mitigation efforts align with regulatory requirements for data protection and governance, as failure to address this vulnerability could result in significant penalties or legal liability. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to verify the effectiveness of implemented controls and identify any additional vulnerabilities that may exist within the InfoSphere environment.