CVE-2019-4611 in Planning Analytics
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Planning Analytics 2.0 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: 168519.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/09/2024
IBM Planning Analytics version 2.0 contains a cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a critical security weakness in the web-based user interface. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, where the application fails to properly validate or sanitize user input before rendering it in the web interface. The flaw enables attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code through input fields or parameters that are subsequently executed in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability specifically affects the web user interface components of IBM Planning Analytics, creating an attack vector that can be exploited by malicious actors to manipulate the intended functionality of the application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it creates conditions for session hijacking and credential theft. When a victim user visits a malicious page or interacts with compromised content within the Planning Analytics environment, the injected JavaScript code executes in their browser context, potentially capturing session cookies, login credentials, or other sensitive information. This allows attackers to impersonate legitimate users and gain unauthorized access to the planning analytics system. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates within a trusted session context, meaning that compromised credentials can be used to access sensitive business planning data, financial forecasts, and strategic information that organizations rely on for decision-making processes.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically JavaScript execution within web browsers. Attackers can leverage this weakness to establish persistent access to the system through session manipulation, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation. The vulnerability also relates to ATT&CK technique T1531 for Account Access Removal, as compromised credentials can be used to maintain unauthorized access to the planning analytics environment. Organizations using IBM Planning Analytics 2.0 should consider implementing comprehensive input validation, output encoding, and Content Security Policy headers to prevent script injection attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices in web applications and highlights the need for regular security assessments of business intelligence and planning systems that handle sensitive organizational data. IBM has released patches and updates to address this vulnerability, and organizations should implement these remediations immediately to protect their planning analytics environments from potential exploitation.
This vulnerability underscores the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches for enterprise planning and analytics platforms. The cross-site scripting flaw in IBM Planning Analytics 2.0 represents a significant risk to business continuity and data integrity, as it can lead to unauthorized access to strategic planning information and financial data. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their planning analytics environments and implement additional security controls such as web application firewalls, regular security monitoring, and user access controls to mitigate the risk of exploitation. The vulnerability also emphasizes the need for comprehensive security awareness training for users who interact with planning analytics systems, as social engineering attacks often combine with technical vulnerabilities to achieve successful compromises.