CVE-2018-1847 in Financial Transaction Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Financial Transaction Manager (FTM) for Multi-Platform (MP) v2.0.0.0 through 2.0.0.5, v2.1.0.0 through 2.1.0.4, v2.1.1.0 through 2.1.1.4, and v3.0.0.0 through 3.0.0.8 could allow a remote attacker to traverse directories on the system. An attacker could send a specially-crafted URL request containing "dot dot" sequences (/../) to view arbitrary files on the system. IBM X-Force ID: 150946.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/26/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1847 affects IBM Financial Transaction Manager for Multi-Platform versions spanning multiple release lines including v2.0.0.0 through 2.0.0.5, v2.1.0.0 through 2.1.0.4, v2.1.1.0 through 2.1.1.4, and v3.0.0.0 through 3.0.0.8. This represents a critical directory traversal flaw that enables remote attackers to access files beyond the intended directory structure. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the application's URL handling mechanism, specifically failing to properly sanitize user-supplied path information that contains directory traversal sequences.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the universal "dot dot" traversal sequences commonly represented as /../ in file paths. When an attacker crafts a malicious URL request containing these sequences, the application fails to properly validate or sanitize the input before processing file access requests. This allows the attacker to navigate upward through the directory structure and access files that should normally be restricted to authorized users only. The flaw exists in the web application's file handling routines where path resolution occurs without proper boundary checks or canonicalization of user-supplied paths.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to financial institutions using IBM FTM MP systems as it could enable attackers to access sensitive configuration files, database credentials, application source code, and potentially financial transaction data. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation does not require physical access to the system or local network presence, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as attackers could potentially gain insights into system architecture, application internals, and security configurations that could facilitate further attacks. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-22 Directory Traversal and represents a classic example of path traversal attacks that have been documented extensively in security literature and commonly targeted in enterprise environments.
The security implications of this vulnerability extend into multiple ATT&CK framework domains including TA0001 Initial Access through the use of remote exploitation techniques, TA0002 Execution via the ability to access system files that might contain executable components, and TA0006 Credential Access as attackers could potentially extract authentication credentials stored in configuration files. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation, web application firewalls, and strict input validation controls to mitigate this risk. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization and the principle of least privilege in web application development, particularly for financial systems handling sensitive transaction data. IBM has released patches and updates to address this vulnerability, and organizations should prioritize applying these security updates to maintain system integrity and protect against potential exploitation attempts.