CVE-2018-1470 in Sterling File Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Sterling File Gateway 2.2.0 through 2.2.6 could allow a remote authenticated attacker to obtain sensitive information displayed in the URL that could lead to further attacks against the system. IBM X-Force ID: 140688.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/25/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1470 affects IBM Sterling File Gateway versions 2.2.0 through 2.2.6, representing a significant security weakness that could be exploited by remote authenticated attackers. This issue stems from improper handling of sensitive information within URL parameters, creating an information disclosure vulnerability that could serve as a foundation for more sophisticated attacks against the affected system. The flaw specifically manifests when the application displays sensitive data directly in Uniform Resource Locator structures, potentially exposing credentials, session identifiers, or other confidential information to unauthorized parties who can access the system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the application's failure to sanitize or properly encode sensitive data before including it in URL construction. When authenticated users interact with the file gateway system, certain operations may result in sensitive parameters being appended to URLs, creating a potential attack vector for malicious actors who can monitor network traffic or gain access to browser history. This behavior aligns with CWE-200, which addresses information exposure through improper handling of sensitive data, and represents a clear violation of secure coding practices that should prevent sensitive information from being exposed in client-side contexts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the exposed URL parameters could provide attackers with sufficient information to conduct further attacks against the system. An attacker who can observe or intercept these URLs could potentially reconstruct session tokens, access credentials, or other sensitive data that would allow them to escalate privileges, access restricted resources, or perform unauthorized operations within the file gateway environment. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on IBM Sterling File Gateway for secure file transfer operations, as it could compromise the confidentiality of data being processed through the system and potentially lead to complete system compromise if combined with other attack vectors.
Organizations utilizing affected versions of IBM Sterling File Gateway should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of the software, implementing network monitoring to detect suspicious URL patterns, and conducting thorough security assessments of their file transfer processes. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output encoding practices, particularly in web-based applications handling sensitive data. Security teams should also consider implementing additional network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of information disclosure attacks. Organizations should review their incident response procedures to ensure readiness for potential exploitation of this vulnerability, as the exposure of sensitive URL parameters could enable attackers to conduct targeted attacks against specific system components or user accounts within the file gateway environment.