CVE-2017-1291 in Maximo Asset Management
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Maximo Asset Management 7.5 and 7.6 is vulnerable to HTTP response splitting attacks. A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability using specially-crafted URL to cause the server to return a split response, once the URL is clicked. This would allow the attacker to perform further attacks, such as Web cache poisoning, cross-site scripting, and possibly obtain sensitive information. IBM X-Force ID: 125152.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/25/2020
IBM Maximo Asset Management versions 7.5 and 7.6 contain a critical vulnerability that enables HTTP response splitting attacks through improperly validated user input in URL parameters. This flaw resides in the application's handling of HTTP requests where maliciously crafted URLs can manipulate the server's response generation process, creating a condition where multiple HTTP responses are concatenated into a single response stream. The vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of input parameters that are directly incorporated into HTTP response headers without proper encoding or validation mechanisms. When a victim clicks on a specially crafted URL, the server processes the malicious input and generates a response that contains embedded carriage return and line feed characters, allowing the attacker to inject additional HTTP headers or response content that gets interpreted by the victim's browser or intermediate caching systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-113, which describes improper neutralization of CRLF (Carriage Return Line Feed) sequences in HTTP headers, and represents a classic example of HTTP response splitting as defined in the OWASP Top Ten. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute Web cache poisoning attacks by injecting malicious content that gets cached and served to other users, or to perform cross-site scripting attacks by manipulating response headers to inject malicious scripts. The impact extends beyond simple data manipulation as it enables attackers to potentially obtain sensitive information through session hijacking or by redirecting users to malicious sites. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the application's security architecture where input validation and output encoding are not properly implemented at the HTTP response level, creating an attack surface that can be exploited across multiple attack vectors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows remote attackers to compromise the integrity and confidentiality of the Maximo Asset Management system without requiring authentication or privileged access. The vulnerability affects both versions 7.5 and 7.6, indicating a persistent flaw in the application's security implementation that spans multiple releases. Organizations using these versions face significant risk of data breaches, system compromise, and potential regulatory violations due to the exposure of sensitive asset management information. The vulnerability can be exploited through simple web-based attacks, making it particularly dangerous as it requires minimal technical expertise from attackers. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in their threat modeling and incident response planning, as it provides attackers with multiple attack pathways including cache poisoning, XSS, and information disclosure. The IBM X-Force ID 125152 further validates the severity and specific nature of this vulnerability, highlighting its potential for causing widespread impact across organizations that rely on Maximo for critical asset management operations.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms at the application level, specifically targeting HTTP response headers and user-supplied parameters. Organizations should deploy web application firewalls with rules designed to detect and block CRLF injection attempts, and implement proper header sanitization to prevent malicious content from being incorporated into HTTP responses. The fix requires modifying the application code to properly encode user input before it is used in HTTP response generation, particularly in areas where URL parameters are processed and returned to users. Security patches should be applied immediately to address the root cause of the vulnerability, and organizations should conduct thorough security testing to ensure that similar vulnerabilities do not exist in other components of their Maximo deployment. Additionally, network-level protections such as intrusion detection systems and traffic monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous HTTP response patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper input validation and output encoding in preventing HTTP response splitting attacks, which remain a persistent threat in web application security and are consistently ranked among the most dangerous vulnerabilities in industry security frameworks.