CVE-2018-1790 in Financial Transaction Manager for Digital Payments for Multi-Platform
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Financial Transaction Manager for Digital Payments for Multi-Platform 3.0.2 is vulnerable to cross-site request forgery which could allow an attacker to execute malicious and unauthorized actions transmitted from a user that the website trusts. IBM X-Force ID: 148944.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1790 affects IBM Financial Transaction Manager for Digital Payments for Multi-Platform version 3.0.2, representing a critical cross-site request forgery flaw that undermines the security posture of financial transaction processing systems. This vulnerability resides within the web-based administrative interface of the platform, which handles sensitive financial operations and user management functions. The flaw enables attackers to manipulate authenticated user sessions and execute unauthorized transactions or administrative actions without proper authorization, potentially compromising the integrity and confidentiality of financial data processing workflows.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate and authenticate cross-origin requests within its web interface. Specifically, the system does not employ adequate anti-CSRF tokens or origin validation mechanisms when processing requests that modify transaction data or user permissions. This allows an attacker to craft malicious web pages or links that, when clicked by an authenticated user, automatically submit requests to the vulnerable application. The flaw is particularly dangerous in financial contexts where the application handles monetary transactions, user account modifications, and sensitive payment processing data. According to CWE-352, this represents a classic cross-site request forgery vulnerability that exploits the trust relationship between the application and the user's browser.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it can enable attackers to manipulate financial transaction records, modify user permissions, or execute fraudulent payment operations within the scope of the compromised user's privileges. Attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability to transfer funds, alter transaction parameters, or gain elevated access to sensitive financial systems. The risk is compounded by the fact that this vulnerability affects a financial transaction management platform, where unauthorized modifications could result in significant monetary losses and regulatory compliance violations. The attack vector typically involves social engineering techniques where users are tricked into clicking malicious links or visiting compromised websites that automatically submit requests to the vulnerable application.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of anti-CSRF token mechanisms within all web forms and API endpoints that process financial transactions. Organizations should deploy proper origin validation checks and ensure that all state-changing requests require additional authentication factors beyond session cookies. The IBM security advisory recommends upgrading to patched versions of the Financial Transaction Manager platform, while security teams should implement web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious cross-origin requests. According to ATT&CK framework technique T1531, this vulnerability aligns with the 'Modify Application Configuration' tactic, where adversaries seek to manipulate application behavior through session manipulation. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security testing of web interfaces and implement regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar CSRF vulnerabilities in other financial applications and systems.