CVE-2019-4095 in Cloud Pak System
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Cloud Pak System 2.3 is vulnerable to cross-site request forgery which could allow an attacker to execute malicious and unauthorized actions transmitted from a user that the website trusts. IBM X-Force ID: 158015.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/09/2024
IBM Cloud Pak System version 2.3 contains a critical cross-site request forgery vulnerability that enables attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. This weakness arises from insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-forgery token implementation within the web application's authentication and authorization mechanisms. The vulnerability exists in the system's web interface components that handle administrative operations and user session management, creating an attack surface where malicious actors can craft deceptive requests that appear legitimate to the server.
The technical flaw manifests when users interact with the Cloud Pak System's web-based management interface and inadvertently trigger forged requests that leverage their existing authenticated sessions. Attackers can exploit this by embedding malicious links or forms within compromised websites or email attachments that, when clicked by an authenticated user, execute unintended administrative functions such as user account modifications, configuration changes, or data access operations. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and undermines the integrity of the authentication system. The issue aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities in web applications, and represents a significant deviation from secure coding practices that require proper validation of request sources and implementation of anti-forgery mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to potentially compromise entire cloud infrastructure deployments. An attacker who successfully exploits this weakness could gain unauthorized access to sensitive system configurations, modify user permissions, or perform destructive operations within the Cloud Pak environment. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it leverages the trust relationship between the web application and legitimate users, making detection more challenging and increasing the potential for prolonged unauthorized access. Organizations using IBM Cloud Pak System 2.3 may face regulatory compliance violations and security breaches that could result in data loss, service disruption, and reputational damage. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers phishing and social engineering attacks that leverage web application vulnerabilities to establish unauthorized access.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate implementation of proper anti-forgery token mechanisms throughout the web application's interface, including the enforcement of strict origin validation for all administrative requests. Organizations must ensure that all state-changing operations require unique, unpredictable tokens that are validated on the server side before processing any requests. System administrators should also implement comprehensive monitoring and logging of administrative activities to detect suspicious patterns that may indicate CSRF attacks. Additionally, deploying web application firewalls and implementing proper security headers such as Content Security Policy can provide additional layers of protection against this class of vulnerability. IBM recommends upgrading to patched versions of Cloud Pak System and implementing network segmentation to limit the attack surface while maintaining operational continuity during remediation efforts.