CVE-2018-1432 in InfoSphere Information Server
Summary
by MITRE
IBM InfoSphere Information Server 9.1, 11.3, 11.5, and 11.7 is vulnerable to cross-frame scripting which is a vulnerability that allows an attacker to load Information Server components inside an HTML iframe tag on a malicious page. The attacker could use this weakness to devise a Clickjacking attack to conduct phishing, frame sniffing, social engineering or Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks. IBM X-Force ID: 139360.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/21/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1432 affects IBM InfoSphere Information Server versions 9.1, 11.3, 11.5, and 11.7, representing a critical cross-frame scripting weakness that fundamentally undermines the security boundaries of the application. This flaw stems from the application's failure to implement proper frame protection mechanisms, allowing malicious actors to embed Information Server components within HTML iframe elements on compromised web pages. The vulnerability operates at the web application level and directly violates fundamental security principles of web application design, as outlined in CWE-1021 which specifically addresses cross-frame scripting vulnerabilities. The absence of proper security headers and frame protection controls creates an environment where attackers can manipulate the user's browsing context and execute malicious activities through seemingly legitimate web interactions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability enables attackers to conduct sophisticated clickjacking attacks by embedding the vulnerable InfoSphere components within malicious web pages that appear legitimate to end users. When victims navigate to these compromised pages, they unknowingly interact with both the malicious page and the embedded Information Server components, creating a deceptive user experience where the victim's actions are directed to the embedded application while they believe they are interacting with the benign page. This technique directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1056.001 which describes credential access through input injection, and T1190 which covers exploitation of web application vulnerabilities. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple phishing attempts to include more sophisticated attacks such as frame sniffing and social engineering campaigns that can compromise user credentials and sensitive data.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-1432 is substantial as it enables attackers to conduct various forms of malicious activity that can lead to data breaches, unauthorized access, and credential theft. Organizations using affected versions of IBM InfoSphere Information Server face significant risk of unauthorized data access and manipulation through these frame-based attacks, particularly in environments where sensitive information is processed and stored. The vulnerability's exploitation does not require high privileges or specialized knowledge, making it accessible to a broad range of threat actors from script kiddies to sophisticated attackers. This accessibility combined with the potential for credential harvesting and data exfiltration creates a dangerous threat landscape for organizations relying on these information server components. The vulnerability also impacts the overall trust model of the web application, as users cannot reliably distinguish between legitimate and malicious content within the browser context.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-1432 should focus on implementing proper frame protection mechanisms including the deployment of Content Security Policy (CSP) headers with frame-ancestors directives to prevent embedding of the application in unauthorized frames. Organizations should also implement X-Frame-Options headers and ensure that all web applications are configured to reject frame embedding requests from external domains. IBM has released patches and updates for affected versions that address this vulnerability, and organizations must apply these updates immediately to remediate the security weakness. Additional protective measures include implementing network-level controls to monitor for suspicious frame embedding attempts and conducting regular security assessments to identify potential exposure points. The implementation of these controls aligns with security frameworks such as NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001 requirements for web application security and access control management, ensuring that organizations maintain compliance while addressing the specific threat posed by this cross-frame scripting vulnerability.