CVE-2018-1895 in InfoSphere Information Server
Summary
by MITRE
IBM InfoSphere Information Server 11.3, 11.5, and 11.7 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: 152159.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/10/2023
IBM InfoSphere Information Server versions 11.3, 11.5, and 11.7 contain a cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a critical security weakness in the web-based user interface. 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 pages. The flaw enables attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code through the web interface, potentially compromising the integrity of the application and the data it handles.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the web application's user interface components. When legitimate users interact with the system through the web UI, the application fails to adequately sanitize data entered by users or retrieved from backend processes before rendering it in web pages. This allows malicious actors to craft specially crafted input that, when processed by the application, gets executed as JavaScript code within the context of other users' sessions. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates within a trusted session environment, meaning that successful exploitation could lead to credential theft and unauthorized access to sensitive information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it creates opportunities for more sophisticated attacks within the enterprise environment. Attackers could potentially leverage this weakness to establish persistent access to the Information Server, extract sensitive data, or manipulate the application's functionality to serve their malicious purposes. The vulnerability affects the web-based administrative interface of IBM InfoSphere, which typically handles critical data integration and governance operations. Given that the system is designed to manage enterprise data flows and business intelligence, a successful XSS attack could compromise the integrity of business-critical data processing workflows and potentially expose sensitive organizational information.
Organizations utilizing these vulnerable versions of IBM InfoSphere Information Server face significant risk of unauthorized access and data compromise. The attack surface is particularly concerning because the web UI typically requires authentication and operates with elevated privileges, making successful exploitation potentially devastating. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in their threat modeling exercises, particularly when assessing risks related to web application security and user session management. The vulnerability's classification aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, which describes how attackers can use JavaScript to execute malicious code within compromised web sessions.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate implementation of the vendor-provided security patches and updates for IBM InfoSphere Information Server versions 11.3, 11.5, and 11.7. Organizations should also implement comprehensive input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's web interface, following secure coding practices that prevent user-supplied data from being executed as code. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional layers of protection, while regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in the broader application ecosystem. The security community should also monitor for related vulnerabilities in IBM's product line and ensure that all web-based enterprise applications maintain current security configurations to prevent exploitation of similar cross-site scripting weaknesses.