CVE-2020-4560 in Financial Transaction Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Financial Transaction Manager 3.2.4 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.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/07/2020
IBM Financial Transaction Manager version 3.2.4 contains a cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a critical security flaw 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 and sanitize user input before rendering it within the web interface. The flaw specifically affects the web UI components that process user-supplied data, allowing malicious actors to inject malicious JavaScript code through input fields or parameters that are not adequately filtered or escaped.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables attackers to manipulate the intended functionality of the application by executing arbitrary code within the context of a trusted session. When a user interacts with the vulnerable web interface, the injected JavaScript code can execute in the browser of authenticated users, potentially leading to credential theft, session hijacking, or unauthorized access to financial transaction data. This type of attack leverages the trust relationship between the user and the application, making it particularly dangerous in financial environments where sensitive transaction data is processed.
The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental failure in input validation and output encoding practices within the IBM Financial Transaction Manager application. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that are submitted through web forms or URL parameters, which are then rendered back to users without proper sanitization. This creates a persistent threat vector where compromised sessions can be used to access sensitive financial information or perform unauthorized transactions. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that financial transaction managers typically handle highly sensitive data and require robust security controls to prevent unauthorized access.
Organizations utilizing IBM Financial Transaction Manager 3.2.4 should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches, implementing proper input validation at all entry points, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious script injections. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which describes social engineering tactics involving malicious code injection, and T1071 which covers application layer protocol usage. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of all web interfaces and implement comprehensive monitoring for suspicious activities that may indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include regular security testing, including dynamic application security testing and manual penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities across the application stack.