CVE-2017-1533 in Security Access Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Security Access Manager Appliance 9.0.3 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: 130675.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/29/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-1533 affects IBM Security Access Manager Appliance version 9.0.3 and represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw that undermines the security posture of the web-based management interface. This weakness exists within the appliance's user interface implementation, where insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it within web pages. The vulnerability stems from the appliance's failure to adequately filter or escape special characters in user-controllable parameters, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject malicious JavaScript code into the web application's response.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when authenticated users interact with the appliance's web UI and submit malicious input through various interface elements that accept user data. When the appliance processes this input without proper sanitization, the injected JavaScript code becomes executable within the context of the victim's browser session. This cross-site scripting condition allows attackers to manipulate the intended functionality of the web application, potentially enabling session hijacking, credential theft, and other malicious activities that leverage the trust relationship between the user and the appliance. The vulnerability specifically targets the appliance's web interface rendering mechanisms, where user input is directly incorporated into dynamic web content without adequate security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited by attackers with access to the appliance's web interface. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can potentially steal session cookies, capture user credentials, and execute arbitrary commands within the context of the victim's session. This capability undermines the fundamental security model of the appliance, which relies on maintaining trusted sessions and protecting sensitive authentication information from unauthorized access. The vulnerability particularly affects the appliance's ability to maintain secure authentication boundaries, as it allows malicious code execution that can intercept and exfiltrate sensitive information from trusted sessions. The threat is exacerbated by the fact that the vulnerability exists within the appliance's management interface, which typically requires elevated privileges and contains sensitive configuration data.
Organizations utilizing IBM Security Access Manager Appliance 9.0.3 should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates. The remediation process should involve comprehensive testing of the appliance's web interface to ensure that input validation and output encoding mechanisms are properly implemented and functioning. Network segmentation and access controls should be enhanced to limit exposure of the appliance's web interface to untrusted networks and users. Additionally, security monitoring should be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts through anomalous input patterns or unusual session behavior. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-79 which describes Cross-site Scripting vulnerabilities, while the ATT&CK framework categorizes this under T1059.007 for Scripting and T1566.001 for Phishing, as attackers may leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access through credential theft and session manipulation activities. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments of their web applications to identify similar input validation weaknesses that could lead to similar exploitation vectors.