CVE-2020-4774 in Curam Social Program Management
Summary
by MITRE • 10/12/2020
An XPath vulnerability may impact IBM Curam Social Program Management 7.0.9 and 7.0.10, caused by the improper handling of user-supplied input. By sending a specially-crafted input, a remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to obtain unauthorized access or reveal sensitive information such as XML document structure and content. IBM X-Force ID: 189152.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/18/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-4774 represents a critical XPath injection flaw within IBM Curam Social Program Management versions 7.0.9 and 7.0.10. This security weakness stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing it within XPath queries. The affected application processes XML-based data structures and employs XPath expressions for database queries and data retrieval operations, creating an attack surface where malicious input can manipulate the underlying query execution. The vulnerability manifests when the application constructs XPath expressions using directly concatenated user input without proper sanitization or parameterization, allowing attackers to craft malicious payloads that can alter the intended query behavior.
The technical exploitation of this XPath injection vulnerability enables remote attackers to manipulate the XML processing logic through crafted input parameters. When user-supplied data is incorporated into XPath expressions without proper validation, attackers can inject malicious XPath syntax that modifies the query execution path. This can result in unauthorized data access, information disclosure, and potentially full system compromise depending on the application's access controls and data exposure levels. The vulnerability specifically affects the application's ability to handle XML document structures and content, allowing attackers to extract sensitive information from the underlying data repositories. Attackers can leverage this weakness to enumerate XML document structures, extract confidential data, and potentially escalate privileges within the application's data processing environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-4774 extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass potential system compromise and data breaches. Organizations utilizing IBM Curam Social Program Management in production environments face significant risks as this vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication credentials. The attack vector allows for automated exploitation through web interface interactions, making it particularly dangerous for applications handling sensitive social program data. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-640, which specifically addresses weak password recovery mechanisms and improper input handling in XPath processing. Additionally, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1213.002, which covers data from information repositories, as attackers can extract sensitive information through manipulated XPath queries.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-4774 require immediate implementation of input validation and sanitization measures within the application's data processing layers. Organizations should implement proper parameterized XPath queries that separate user input from the query structure, preventing injection attacks through concatenation of malicious payloads. The recommended approach involves using XML schema validation, implementing strict input filtering, and employing dedicated XPath query builders that properly escape special characters. IBM has issued patches and updates for affected versions that address the root cause through improved input handling mechanisms. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of all XPath query implementations within the application stack and implement monitoring solutions to detect anomalous query patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process should also include access control reviews and privilege management to limit potential damage from successful exploitation attempts.