CVE-2018-1390 in Financial Transaction Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Financial Transaction Manager for Check Services for Multi-Platform 3.0, 3.0.2, and 3.0.2.1 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: 138221.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1390 affects IBM Financial Transaction Manager for Check Services for Multi-Platform versions 3.0, 3.0.2, and 3.0.2.1, representing a critical cross-site scripting flaw that compromises the security integrity of the web-based user interface. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting weaknesses where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding. The flaw exists within the application's web user interface implementation, allowing malicious actors to inject malicious JavaScript code through user input fields or parameters that are not adequately sanitized before being rendered back to users.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability enables attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of a victim's browser session, effectively bypassing the trust boundary that should protect sensitive financial transactions and user credentials. When a user interacts with the vulnerable application, the malicious script can be executed in their browser, potentially capturing session cookies, login credentials, or other sensitive information transmitted during the trusted session. This type of attack aligns with the tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1059.007 technique for script injection, where adversaries leverage web application vulnerabilities to execute malicious code. The impact extends beyond simple credential theft as the compromised session could allow attackers to perform unauthorized financial transactions or access sensitive transaction data within the financial management system.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability are severe for financial institutions relying on IBM Financial Transaction Manager for Multi-Platform, as it creates an attack vector that could lead to significant financial losses and regulatory compliance violations. Organizations utilizing these vulnerable versions face potential exposure to credential disclosure attacks that could compromise the entire financial transaction processing workflow. The vulnerability's presence in multiple patch levels (3.0, 3.0.2, and 3.0.2.1) indicates a persistent flaw in the application's input validation mechanisms, suggesting that the developers may not have properly addressed similar security concerns in earlier releases. This creates a particularly concerning scenario where even organizations that have applied patches may still be vulnerable if they have not upgraded to a fully secure version, as the vulnerability's exploitation could occur through various input vectors within the web interface.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates for IBM Financial Transaction Manager for Check Services for Multi-Platform, ensuring all users are running the latest secure versions. Additional protective measures include implementing robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms at the application level, configuring web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script injection attempts, and conducting comprehensive security testing of the web interface components. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing of the financial transaction processing environment are essential to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by threat actors. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of maintaining current threat intelligence feeds and security advisories from vendors to ensure timely response to emerging security risks in financial transaction management systems.