CVE-2017-1235 in WebSphere MQ
Summary
by MITRE
IBM WebSphere MQ 8.0 could allow an authenticated user to cause a premature termination of a client application thread could potentially cause denial of service. IBM X-Force ID: 123914.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/14/2021
IBM WebSphere MQ version 8.0 contains a vulnerability that allows authenticated users to trigger premature termination of client application threads, potentially leading to denial of service conditions. This vulnerability specifically affects the message queuing functionality where client applications establish connections to the messaging broker. The flaw manifests when authenticated users send specially crafted requests that cause the messaging system to terminate threads associated with client applications before their normal completion. This behavior creates a condition where legitimate client applications may experience unexpected termination or disruption of their messaging operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate thread management within the WebSphere MQ message processing components. When authenticated clients interact with the messaging system, the application threads responsible for handling message flows can be forcibly terminated due to improper error handling or resource management. This occurs during the processing of certain message operations or connection management activities where the system fails to properly validate or handle specific client request patterns. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authentication credentials to exploit, making it accessible to users who have legitimate access to the messaging system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it can affect the reliability and availability of mission-critical messaging infrastructure. Organizations relying on WebSphere MQ for business-critical communications may experience intermittent service interruptions, application crashes, or complete messaging system unavailability. The premature thread termination can cascade through the messaging infrastructure, potentially affecting multiple connected applications and services that depend on the message queuing system. This type of denial of service vulnerability can have significant business impact, particularly in environments where continuous availability of messaging services is essential for operational continuity.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses uncontrolled resource consumption, and relates to the broader category of denial of service attacks that target application stability. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving service disruption and resource exhaustion, potentially enabling adversaries to perform sustained denial of service operations against messaging infrastructure. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant IBM security patches and updates, monitoring for anomalous thread termination patterns, and implementing additional access controls to limit the scope of authenticated users who can trigger such conditions. Network segmentation and application-level monitoring can help detect and respond to exploitation attempts before they cause significant service disruption.