CVE-2017-1320 in Tivoli Federated Identity Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Tivoli Federated Identity Manager 6.2 is vulnerable to cross-site scripting. This vulnerability allows users to embed arbitrary JavaScript code in the Web UI thus altering the intended functionality potentially leading to credentials disclosure within a trusted session. IBM X-Force ID: 125732.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/25/2020
IBM Tivoli Federated Identity Manager version 6.2 contains a cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a critical security flaw in the web-based user interface. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which occurs when an application incorporates untrusted data into web pages without proper validation or encoding. The flaw specifically affects the web user interface components where user input is not adequately sanitized before being rendered back to the browser, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject malicious JavaScript code into the application's response.
The security implications of this vulnerability extend beyond simple script execution as it enables attackers to manipulate the intended functionality of the federated identity management system. When a malicious user can inject JavaScript code into the web interface, they can potentially hijack user sessions, capture authentication credentials, or redirect users to malicious websites. The vulnerability particularly concerns the trusted session aspect mentioned in the description, as attackers can exploit this weakness to perform session hijacking attacks within the context of legitimate user sessions, making the attack more convincing and harder to detect.
This vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK framework techniques including T1566 for credential access through social engineering and T1071 for application layer protocol usage. The attack vector typically involves crafting malicious input that gets processed by the web application and subsequently executed in the victim's browser. The impact is significant because federated identity managers handle sensitive authentication data and user credentials, making them attractive targets for attackers seeking to compromise entire user bases or access privileged accounts within the federated environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends to the organization's overall security posture, as it could lead to unauthorized access to protected resources, data breaches, and potential compliance violations. Organizations using IBM Tivoli Federated Identity Manager 6.2 should consider implementing immediate mitigations including input validation, output encoding, and proper content security policies. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and input sanitization in web applications, particularly those handling authentication and identity management functions. Organizations should also review their web application security testing procedures to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of their identity infrastructure.
IBM has addressed this vulnerability through security updates and patches that implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The recommended remediation includes applying the latest security patches from IBM, implementing web application firewalls, and conducting thorough security testing of the web interface components. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing additional security controls such as content security policies and regular vulnerability scanning to prevent similar issues from occurring in other web applications within their environment.