CVE-2017-1693 in Integration Bus
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Integration Bus 9.0 and 10.0 could allow an attacker that has captured a valid session id to highack another users session during a small timeframe before the session times out. IBM X-Force ID: 134164.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/01/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-1693 affects IBM Integration Bus versions 9.0 and 10.0, representing a critical session management flaw that enables session hijacking attacks. This weakness stems from insufficient session validation mechanisms that fail to properly authenticate session requests during the brief window between session expiration and actual timeout. The vulnerability creates a temporal security gap where an attacker who has obtained a valid session identifier can potentially assume control of another user's session before the original session expires. This issue directly impacts the integrity of the authentication system and undermines the fundamental security principles of user isolation and access control within the integration platform.
The technical flaw manifests in the session management implementation where the system does not adequately verify session authenticity during the final moments before session expiration. This creates a window of opportunity for session hijacking attacks, particularly when the session timeout mechanism is approached. The vulnerability operates through a race condition scenario where session validation occurs too late in the process, allowing malicious actors to exploit the temporal gap between when a session becomes invalid and when the system actually terminates it. This weakness aligns with CWE-384, which addresses session management flaws that can lead to session hijacking and unauthorized access. The flaw represents a significant deviation from secure session handling practices that should maintain strict validation throughout the entire session lifecycle.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential data compromise and system integrity breaches. Attackers exploiting this weakness can gain unauthorized access to sensitive integration workflows, data processing operations, and business-critical information flows that the legitimate user had access to. The timeframe during which this attack is possible, though brief, provides sufficient opportunity for attackers to execute malicious activities including data exfiltration, process manipulation, and unauthorized system modifications. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on IBM Integration Bus for enterprise integration services, where session hijacking could lead to disruption of critical business processes and compromise of integration security controls. The impact is exacerbated when the system handles sensitive data or operates in regulated environments where session security is paramount.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including enhanced session timeout configurations, additional authentication layers, and monitoring of suspicious session activity. The recommended approach involves configuring shorter session timeouts to minimize the exploitation window, implementing multi-factor authentication for critical operations, and establishing robust session monitoring mechanisms. Security controls should include regular session validation checks and logging of session-related activities to detect potential hijacking attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security measures such as IP address binding, user agent verification, and transaction-level monitoring to detect anomalous session behavior. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and adheres to ATT&CK technique T1563.002, which covers credentials from password managers and session hijacking through improper session handling. The mitigation strategies should align with industry best practices for session management and include regular security assessments to prevent similar vulnerabilities in the integration platform's architecture.