CVE-2018-1740 in Security Access Manager Appliance
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Security Access Manager Appliance 9.0.1.0, 9.0.2.0, 9.0.3.0, 9.0.4.0, and 9.0.5.0 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: 148419.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/19/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1740 affects IBM Security Access Manager Appliance versions 9.0.1.0 through 9.0.5.0, representing a critical cross-site scripting flaw that undermines the security posture of enterprise authentication systems. This vulnerability resides within the web user interface of the appliance, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into the application's response. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it within the web interface. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that, when processed by the vulnerable appliance, execute unintended JavaScript code within the context of authenticated user sessions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. The vulnerability operates by allowing untrusted data to flow directly into the web application's output without proper sanitization or encoding, creating a persistent threat vector that can be exploited through various attack vectors including crafted URLs, form submissions, or even social engineering techniques that trick users into interacting with malicious content. The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can be leveraged to hijack user sessions, steal authentication credentials, and potentially escalate privileges within the targeted environment.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability are particularly severe for organizations relying on IBM Security Access Manager for identity and access management functions. When exploited, the XSS flaw can lead to credential disclosure within trusted sessions, effectively undermining the very purpose of the security appliance. An attacker who successfully injects malicious JavaScript code can capture session cookies, steal user credentials, or redirect users to malicious sites that appear legitimate within the trusted network context. This creates a significant risk for enterprise environments where the appliance serves as a critical component of the authentication infrastructure, potentially allowing unauthorized access to protected resources and sensitive data. The vulnerability's presence in multiple patch levels indicates a fundamental flaw in the application's input handling that required attention across various versions of the software.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious script injection attempts, implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms, and conducting thorough security assessments of all user-facing interfaces. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that include monitoring for suspicious activities, regular security scanning, and user education regarding potential social engineering attacks that may exploit such flaws. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing content security policies and ensuring that all user-supplied data is properly escaped before being rendered in the web interface to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future.