CVE-2020-4675 in Infosphere Master Data Management Server
Summary
by MITRE • 07/17/2021
IBM InfoSphere Master Data Management Server 11.6 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: 186324.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/19/2021
IBM InfoSphere Master Data Management Server version 11.6 contains a critical cross-site request forgery vulnerability that enables attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-352 category, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery flaws in web applications. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation within the server's web interface. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious web pages or emails that, when clicked by an authenticated user, automatically submit requests to the vulnerable server without the user's knowledge or consent.
The technical flaw manifests in the server's failure to properly verify the source of incoming requests, allowing attackers to leverage the trust relationship between the web application and its users. When a user is authenticated to the InfoSphere Master Data Management Server, their session cookies are automatically included with every request, making it possible for an attacker to construct malicious requests that appear legitimate to the server. The vulnerability specifically impacts the server's administrative functions and data management capabilities, potentially enabling attackers to modify master data records, create new user accounts, or perform other privileged operations. This represents a significant security risk as it allows attackers to operate within the system using the privileges of legitimate users, often with elevated access rights.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation to encompass potential data integrity breaches and unauthorized system access. An attacker who successfully exploits this CSRF vulnerability could compromise the entire master data management environment, affecting critical business data and potentially leading to downstream operational disruptions. The attack vector typically involves social engineering techniques where users are tricked into visiting malicious websites or clicking on compromised links that contain embedded CSRF payloads. The vulnerability affects the server's ability to maintain data consistency and integrity, as unauthorized changes to master data records could propagate throughout connected systems. Organizations using this version of IBM InfoSphere are particularly at risk since the vulnerability allows for persistent unauthorized access that could go undetected for extended periods.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms throughout the application's web interface, ensuring that every state-changing request requires validation of a unique token generated per user session. Organizations should also implement strict origin validation checks to verify that requests originate from legitimate sources within the application's domain. The recommended approach includes deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious cross-site requests, along with regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components. Patch management procedures should be established to ensure timely updates to IBM InfoSphere components, with particular attention to the 11.6 version which is specifically affected. Security teams should also implement monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous user behavior patterns that might indicate CSRF attacks, and establish incident response protocols that account for this specific threat vector. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which covers "Modify System Firmware", though in this case it manifests as unauthorized administrative access through web interface manipulation rather than firmware modification.