CVE-2020-4857 in Engineering
Summary
by MITRE • 03/05/2021
IBM Engineering products are vulnerable to stored 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: 190460.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/07/2021
IBM Engineering products contain a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a critical security flaw in the web user interface components. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting and specifically manifests as a stored XSS attack vector where malicious JavaScript code can be persistently injected into the application's web interface. The flaw occurs when user-supplied input containing malicious scripts is not properly sanitized or validated before being stored and subsequently rendered back to other users. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious payloads that get stored on the server and executed whenever other users view the affected content, creating a persistent threat that can affect multiple users over time.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple functionality alteration to potentially compromise entire user sessions and sensitive data. When attackers successfully inject malicious JavaScript code, they can hijack user sessions, steal authentication credentials, and perform actions on behalf of legitimate users within the trusted session context. This stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious code persists even after the initial injection, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple users over extended periods. The vulnerability specifically targets IBM Engineering products, which typically handle sensitive engineering data, design specifications, and collaborative work environments where credential theft could result in significant operational disruption and intellectual property compromise.
The attack surface for this vulnerability encompasses all user-facing web interfaces within IBM Engineering products where user input is processed and displayed. According to ATT&CK framework, this represents a technique categorized under T1531 Credential Access through web application vulnerabilities. The exploitation process typically involves an attacker submitting malicious input through forms, comment sections, or any user-editable content fields within the engineering platform. Once the malicious code is stored server-side, it executes in the context of other users' browsers when they access the affected pages, potentially enabling session hijacking, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation. The vulnerability's severity is amplified by its ability to operate within trusted session contexts, making detection more challenging and the potential impact more devastating.
Organizations utilizing IBM Engineering products should implement immediate mitigations including comprehensive input validation, output encoding, and content security policy enforcement. The recommended approach involves deploying proper sanitization mechanisms that filter or escape potentially malicious content before storage, implementing strict content security policies to prevent execution of unauthorized scripts, and conducting regular security assessments of user input handling components. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script injection attempts, while also establishing monitoring procedures to identify unauthorized content modifications. IBM has released patches addressing this vulnerability, and organizations must prioritize timely deployment of these updates to eliminate the attack vector. The mitigation strategy should also include user education regarding safe input practices and regular security training to reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation attempts.