CVE-2020-4526 in Maximo Asset Management
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Maximo Asset Management 7.6.0 and 7.6.1 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: 182436.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/16/2020
IBM Maximo Asset Management version 7.6.0 and 7.6.1 contains a critical cross-site request forgery vulnerability that enables attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. This vulnerability falls under CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery flaws in web applications. The flaw exists in the application's failure to properly validate and authenticate request origins, allowing malicious actors to craft deceptive requests that appear legitimate to the system's security mechanisms. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages the trust relationship between the web application and its users, exploiting the fact that the application does not adequately verify that requests originate from legitimate sources within the same session context. Attackers can exploit this weakness by tricking users into clicking malicious links or visiting compromised websites that automatically submit requests to the Maximo application, potentially leading to unauthorized data modification, deletion of critical assets, or creation of malicious user accounts. The impact extends beyond simple data manipulation as it can compromise the integrity of the entire asset management system, potentially affecting business operations and regulatory compliance. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which focuses on establishing persistence through manipulation of web application security controls. The attack vector typically involves social engineering tactics where users are诱导 to interact with malicious content that triggers unauthorized actions within the Maximo environment. Organizations using these vulnerable versions face significant risk of data breaches and operational disruption since the application's core asset management functionality could be compromised. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the application's session management and request validation mechanisms, which are critical components of web application security frameworks.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF tokens in the application's web forms and API endpoints. IBM Maximo's web interface fails to implement robust token validation mechanisms that would typically be required to prevent unauthorized requests from being processed. This deficiency creates an environment where attackers can craft malicious requests that exploit the trust relationship between the application and its legitimate users. The vulnerability affects both the web-based user interface and potentially the application programming interfaces that may be used for integration purposes. When users are authenticated within the Maximo system, their session cookies are automatically included with requests, making it possible for attackers to execute actions without requiring additional authentication credentials. The exploitation process typically involves creating a malicious webpage or email attachment that contains embedded requests targeting the vulnerable Maximo instance. These requests can perform actions such as creating new assets, modifying existing records, or changing user permissions, all while appearing to originate from legitimate authenticated users. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because Maximo is often used in critical industrial environments where asset management integrity is paramount for operational safety and regulatory compliance.
Organizations should immediately implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability in their Maximo deployments. The most effective immediate solution involves implementing proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms across all web forms and API endpoints within the application. This includes generating unique tokens for each user session and validating them on the server side before processing any requests. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as SameSite cookie attributes, referer header validation, and origin header checking to provide defense in depth. The application should be configured to enforce strict session management policies and implement proper request validation procedures. IBM has released patches and fixes for this vulnerability in later versions of Maximo, making it essential for organizations to upgrade to supported releases. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional monitoring and blocking capabilities for suspicious requests. Security teams should also implement comprehensive monitoring of user activities and system access patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other applications within the organization's infrastructure. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining current security practices and following industry standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks to prevent such critical flaws from compromising enterprise systems.