CVE-2017-1747 in WebSphere MQ
Summary
by MITRE
A specially crafted message could cause a denial of service in IBM WebSphere MQ 9.0, 9.0.0.1, 9.0.0.2, 9.0.1, 9.0.2, 9.0.3, and 9.0.4 applications consuming messages that it needs to perform data conversion on. IBM X-Force ID: 135520.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2023
IBM WebSphere MQ version 9.0 through 9.0.4 contains a vulnerability that allows for denial of service through specifically crafted messages designed to trigger data conversion processing. This flaw occurs when the messaging system processes messages that require data format conversion, creating a condition where the system becomes unresponsive or crashes. The vulnerability specifically targets the message conversion subsystem within the MQ processing pipeline, where the system attempts to transform message data between different formats. When maliciously constructed messages are consumed by applications running these vulnerable versions, the data conversion routines can become stuck in infinite loops or exhaust system resources, leading to complete service disruption.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of message headers and content structures that force the MQ system to perform extensive data conversion operations. The flaw exists in how the system handles certain combinations of message properties and data types that require conversion between different character encodings or data formats. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-400, which encompasses improper handling of resource consumption, specifically relating to denial of service conditions. The attack vector requires that the vulnerable system be actively processing messages that trigger the conversion path, making it a targeted issue that affects systems with active message consumption workflows rather than passive systems.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant risk to mission-critical messaging infrastructure where IBM WebSphere MQ serves as a core component for enterprise communication. Organizations relying on these MQ versions for transaction processing, data integration, or application messaging could experience complete service outages when malicious messages are introduced into their systems. The disruption affects not just individual applications but entire messaging queues and potentially cascading failures across interconnected systems that depend on MQ for communication. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe because it can be triggered by simply consuming a message, making it difficult to detect and prevent through traditional network monitoring approaches.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate application of IBM security patches and fixes released for the affected WebSphere MQ versions. Organizations should also implement message filtering and validation mechanisms to detect and block suspicious message patterns before they reach the vulnerable conversion subsystem. Network segmentation and message queue isolation can help limit the blast radius of such attacks. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and T1566.001, which involves spearphishing with attachments. Security teams should also consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect unusual resource consumption patterns in MQ processes and establish incident response procedures specifically for handling denial of service conditions in messaging infrastructure.