CVE-2019-4011 in BigFix Platform
Summary
by MITRE
IBM BigFix Platform 9.2 and 9.5 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: 155885.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/23/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-4011 affects IBM BigFix Platform versions 9.2 and 9.5, representing a critical cross-site scripting flaw that compromises the security integrity of the web-based management interface. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which is a fundamental web application security weakness that occurs when an application incorporates untrusted data into web pages without proper validation or encoding. The affected platform's web user interface serves as the primary attack vector, allowing malicious actors to inject JavaScript code that executes within the context of legitimate user sessions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the BigFix Platform's web components. When users interact with the platform's web interface, particularly through input fields or URL parameters that are not properly sanitized, the system fails to adequately filter or escape user-supplied data before rendering it in web responses. This allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that, when executed, can manipulate the web application's behavior and potentially access sensitive information. The vulnerability specifically targets the web UI components where user input is processed and displayed, creating an environment where JavaScript execution can occur without proper security boundaries.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can lead to session hijacking and credential theft within trusted user sessions. When a malicious script executes in the context of a legitimate user's browser, it can access session cookies, form data, and other sensitive information that the user has entered or that the application has stored. This creates a significant risk for organizations using BigFix Platform for critical security management tasks, as attackers could potentially escalate privileges, access sensitive configuration data, or compromise the entire security monitoring infrastructure. The vulnerability essentially undermines the trust model of the application, allowing attackers to operate within the legitimate user's security context.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation enhancements, output encoding improvements, and regular security testing of the web interface components. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script injection attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts can be loaded. Regular security updates and patches from IBM should be applied promptly, while network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be employed to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and maintaining robust input validation mechanisms as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten security standards, particularly addressing the risks associated with client-side script execution and session management. Organizations should also consider implementing additional authentication measures such as multi-factor authentication to provide defense-in-depth against potential credential theft scenarios.