CVE-2018-1820 in WebSphere Portal
Summary
by MITRE
IBM WebSphere Portal 8.0, 8.5, and 9.0 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: 150096.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2023
IBM WebSphere Portal versions 8.0, 8.5, and 9.0 contain a cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a critical security flaw in the web application framework. This vulnerability falls under CWE-79 - Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into web page content. The flaw enables malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into the web interface, effectively compromising the application's integrity and user trust. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient validation and sanitization of user-supplied data within the portal's input handling mechanisms, allowing attackers to manipulate the web application's behavior through crafted malicious payloads.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited to establish malicious sessions within the trusted application environment. Attackers can leverage this weakness to steal user credentials, session tokens, and other sensitive information transmitted within trusted sessions. The vulnerability's exploitation potential aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 - Establish Persistent Access, as it allows for the creation of malicious web content that can persist and be executed across multiple user sessions. This cross-site scripting vulnerability specifically targets the portal's user interface components, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect all users interacting with the web application, potentially compromising the entire user base within the portal environment.
The security implications of this vulnerability are severe given that IBM WebSphere Portal serves as a comprehensive enterprise portal platform where users conduct sensitive business operations. The attack surface is broad as the vulnerability can be exploited through various input points within the portal's web interface, including forms, URL parameters, and user-generated content fields. When successfully exploited, the injected JavaScript code can access the user's session context, potentially enabling session hijacking attacks, credential theft, and unauthorized access to privileged functions. The vulnerability's presence in multiple versions of the software indicates a systemic issue in the input validation implementation across the platform's architecture, making it a widespread concern for organizations utilizing these specific versions of IBM WebSphere Portal.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including input validation and output encoding controls to prevent the execution of malicious scripts within the portal environment. The recommended approach involves implementing comprehensive sanitization of all user inputs before processing and rendering within the web interface, utilizing proper context-aware output encoding techniques to prevent script execution. Security measures should include deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious script injection attempts, implementing content security policies to restrict script execution, and conducting regular security assessments to identify potential injection points. Additionally, organizations should ensure that all affected versions of IBM WebSphere Portal are updated to the latest security patches provided by IBM, as the vendor has likely released remediation measures to address this specific cross-site scripting vulnerability. The mitigation strategy should also include user education regarding the dangers of clicking suspicious links and the importance of maintaining updated browser security settings to reduce the attack surface for exploitation.