CVE-2018-5436 in Spotfire Analytics Platform for AWS Marketplace
Summary
by MITRE
The Spotfire server component of TIBCO Software Inc.'s TIBCO Spotfire Analytics Platform for AWS Marketplace, and TIBCO Spotfire Server contain multiple vulnerabilities that may allow for the disclosure of information, including user and data source credentials. Affected releases are TIBCO Software Inc.'s TIBCO Spotfire Analytics Platform for AWS Marketplace: versions up to and including 7.12.0, TIBCO Spotfire Server: versions up to and including 7.8.1; 7.9.0; 7.10.0; 7.11.0; 7.12.0.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/22/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-5436 affects the Spotfire server component within TIBCO Software Inc.'s analytics platform, specifically targeting the TIBCO Spotfire Analytics Platform for AWS Marketplace and the standalone TIBCO Spotfire Server products. This issue represents a significant security concern as it exposes sensitive authentication information through multiple attack vectors that could compromise user credentials and data source access details. The affected versions span across several major releases including 7.12.0 and earlier versions of the server component, making it a widespread concern for organizations utilizing these platforms. The vulnerability stems from inadequate security controls that fail to properly protect authentication tokens and credential storage mechanisms within the server infrastructure.
The technical flaw manifests through insufficient input validation and improper access control implementations within the server component's authentication subsystem. Attackers can exploit these weaknesses to gain unauthorized access to stored credentials and user authentication information through various methods including direct API calls, session manipulation, and potentially through cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that may exist within the web interface components. The vulnerability allows for information disclosure that extends beyond simple credential theft to include sensitive data source connection details, which could enable attackers to establish persistent access to underlying databases and enterprise systems. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and CWE-287 (Improper Authentication) categories, representing both authentication bypass opportunities and sensitive data exposure risks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it directly threatens the confidentiality and integrity of enterprise analytics environments. Organizations utilizing these Spotfire platforms face potential unauthorized access to business-critical data, compromised user accounts, and possible lateral movement within their network infrastructure through stolen credentials. The exposure of data source credentials particularly increases risk for database access and could enable attackers to perform data exfiltration or manipulation attacks. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1566 (Phishing) techniques, as attackers could leverage stolen credentials to maintain persistence and potentially escalate privileges within the analytics environment. The impact extends beyond immediate credential compromise to include potential regulatory compliance violations and financial losses due to unauthorized data access.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches and updates released for the affected versions, implementing network segmentation to limit access to the Spotfire server components, and conducting comprehensive credential rotation across all affected systems. Additional security measures should include enhanced monitoring of authentication events, implementation of multi-factor authentication where possible, and regular security assessments of the analytics platform infrastructure. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security controls and proper access management within enterprise analytics environments, particularly those handling sensitive business data. Organizations should also consider implementing privileged access management solutions and regular security audits to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in their broader technology stack.