CVE-2019-4744 in Financial Transaction Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Financial Transaction Manager 3.0 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: 172882.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/16/2024
IBM Financial Transaction Manager version 3.0 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 and can be exploited by malicious actors to inject malicious JavaScript code into the application's web interface. The flaw occurs when user-supplied input is not properly sanitized or validated before being rendered back to the browser, creating an opening for attackers to manipulate the application's behavior.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, as it can be leveraged to steal session credentials and compromise user authentication within trusted sessions. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that appear legitimate to the application, allowing them to execute JavaScript code in the context of the victim's browser session. This enables unauthorized access to sensitive financial transaction data and potentially full system compromise when combined with other exploitation techniques.
The vulnerability demonstrates the classic characteristics of a reflected cross-site scripting attack where malicious input is immediately reflected back to the user without proper encoding or validation. IBM Financial Transaction Manager's web interface fails to implement adequate input sanitization mechanisms, allowing attackers to embed JavaScript code that executes in the victim's browser. This creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited across multiple user sessions and potentially affect the entire financial transaction processing ecosystem.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically under the T1059.007 technique for Scripting and T1531 for Account Access. The vulnerability can be exploited as part of a broader attack chain where initial access is gained through XSS, followed by credential theft and lateral movement within the financial transaction environment. Organizations using IBM Financial Transaction Manager 3.0 must implement immediate mitigations including input validation, output encoding, and proper content security policies to prevent unauthorized script execution.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation across all user-facing web interfaces, employing proper output encoding for all dynamic content, and deploying content security policies to restrict script execution. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other components of the financial transaction processing infrastructure. Additionally, organizations should establish robust monitoring capabilities to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts targeting this and similar vulnerabilities in their financial systems.