CVE-2019-4136 in Cognos Controller
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Cognos Controller 10.2.0, 10.2.1, 10.3.0, 10.3.1, and 10.4.0 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: 158332.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/05/2023
IBM Cognos Controller versions 10.2.0 through 10.4.0 contain a critical cross-site scripting vulnerability that enables malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code into the web user interface. This vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. The flaw exists in the web-based management interface where user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being rendered back to the browser, creating an exploitable vector for attackers to manipulate the application's intended behavior.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows an attacker to embed malicious JavaScript code through input fields or parameters that are subsequently executed within the context of a victim's browser session. When a user interacts with the vulnerable application, the injected code executes in the victim's browser, potentially compromising the integrity of the session and enabling credential theft. This type of attack aligns with ATT&CK technique T1539 which focuses on credential access through legitimate system processes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can lead to complete session hijacking and unauthorized access to sensitive financial data managed by IBM Cognos Controller. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates within a trusted session context, meaning that authenticated users who interact with the compromised interface may unknowingly execute malicious code that can capture their credentials or perform unauthorized actions on their behalf. This poses significant risk to financial reporting systems that typically contain sensitive business intelligence and accounting data.
Organizations should immediately apply the vendor-provided security patches and updates to address this vulnerability. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms can help prevent similar issues in the future. Network segmentation and monitoring of web application traffic can provide early detection of exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security controls and following secure coding practices that prevent XSS attacks through proper sanitization of user inputs and proper context-aware output encoding.