CVE-2018-1935 in Connections
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Connections 5.0, 5.5, and 6.0 could allow an authenticated user to obtain sensitive information from invalid request error messages. IBM X-Force ID: 153315.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/13/2023
This vulnerability in IBM Connections versions 5.0, 5.5, and 6.0 represents a sensitive data exposure issue that occurs during error handling processes. The flaw manifests when authenticated users submit invalid requests to the application, resulting in error messages that inadvertently disclose sensitive system information. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of information disclosure through error messages, which is categorized as CWE-209 in the Common Weakness Enumeration system. The vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of error responses, where the application fails to properly mask or filter sensitive data that may be included in the error output.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the application's response handling mechanism when processing malformed or unauthorized requests. When an authenticated user submits a request that fails validation or encounters an internal processing error, the system generates an error response that contains more information than necessary for legitimate troubleshooting purposes. This excess information can include system paths, internal component names, database structure details, or other potentially sensitive metadata that should not be exposed to authenticated users. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects authenticated users who already have some level of access to the system, meaning they can leverage this information for further attacks or reconnaissance activities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with valuable intelligence that can be used for more sophisticated attacks. The leaked information could enable attackers to understand the underlying system architecture, identify potential attack vectors, or craft more targeted exploitation techniques. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1212, which describes the use of information discovery techniques to gather system information. The exposure of internal system details can facilitate subsequent attacks such as privilege escalation, lateral movement, or even more severe exploits that target specific components identified through the error messages. Organizations using affected IBM Connections versions face increased risk of targeted attacks that exploit this information leakage for deeper system compromise.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including comprehensive error message sanitization protocols that ensure all error responses contain only generic information appropriate for end users. The recommended approach involves configuring the application to suppress detailed technical information in error messages and implementing proper logging mechanisms that capture sensitive data for internal analysis without exposing it to users. Additionally, regular security testing and code reviews should focus on error handling routines to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components. The IBM advisory recommends applying the latest security patches and updates to address this vulnerability, while also implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential damage from any successful exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper error handling in web applications and underscores the need for comprehensive security testing that includes validation of error message content and response formats.