CVE-2017-1345 in Insights Foundation for Energy
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Insights Foundation for Energy 2.0 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: 126460.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/15/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-1345 affects IBM Insights Foundation for Energy version 2.0, a comprehensive energy management platform designed to provide insights and analytics for energy consumption and optimization. This system serves as a critical component in industrial energy monitoring and control environments, where it processes sensitive operational data and provides web-based interfaces for system administrators and energy managers to access and manipulate energy-related configurations. The platform's web user interface exposes a cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a significant security weakness in an environment handling critical infrastructure data.
The technical flaw manifests as a failure in proper input validation and output encoding within the web application's user interface components. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by injecting malicious JavaScript code through input fields or parameters that are not adequately sanitized before being rendered in the web interface. This allows the malicious code to execute within the context of a victim's browser session, effectively bypassing normal security boundaries. The vulnerability specifically enables attackers to manipulate the web application's intended behavior and potentially access session cookies or other sensitive information that would normally be protected by the browser's same-origin policy.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code injection, as it creates a pathway for credential theft and session hijacking within trusted environments. When authenticated users interact with the vulnerable web interface, their browser sessions become compromised, potentially allowing attackers to impersonate legitimate users and gain unauthorized access to energy management systems. This risk is particularly severe in industrial control environments where energy management systems may control critical infrastructure operations and where unauthorized access could lead to operational disruptions or security breaches. The vulnerability essentially undermines the authentication and authorization mechanisms that should protect the system's integrity and confidentiality.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability, beginning with immediate patching of the affected IBM Insights Foundation for Energy 2.0 platform to the latest security updates provided by IBM. Network segmentation and web application firewalls should be deployed to monitor and filter malicious traffic targeting the vulnerable web interface components. Input validation and output encoding mechanisms should be strengthened throughout the application to prevent future injection attacks, following established security frameworks such as the OWASP Top Ten and CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities. Additionally, security awareness training for system administrators should emphasize the importance of validating all user inputs and monitoring for suspicious activities within energy management systems, as this vulnerability aligns with techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the web application attack patterns category. The remediation process must include thorough testing to ensure that the patch does not introduce compatibility issues with existing energy management workflows and that proper logging mechanisms are in place to detect any exploitation attempts.