CVE-2021-38893 in Business Automation Workflow
Summary
by MITRE • 12/21/2021
IBM Business Process Manager 8.5 and 8.6 and IBM Business Automation Workflow 18.0, 19.0, 20.0 and 21.0 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: 209512.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/25/2021
IBM Business Process Manager versions 8.5 and 8.6 and IBM Business Automation Workflow versions 18.0 through 21.0 contain a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a critical security flaw in the web-based user interface components. This vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, where the malicious code is permanently stored on the server and executed whenever users access the affected web pages. The flaw enables attackers to inject JavaScript payloads that can manipulate the intended functionality of the application interface, potentially compromising user sessions and leading to unauthorized access to sensitive information.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when authenticated users interact with the web application interface and inadvertently trigger the execution of malicious JavaScript code that was previously stored in the system. This stored payload can capture user credentials, session tokens, or other sensitive data transmitted within the trusted session context. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe because it operates within the trusted session boundaries, allowing attackers to leverage legitimate user permissions while executing malicious code. The attack vector typically involves crafting malicious input through web forms or other user-controllable data entry points that are not properly sanitized or validated before storage.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations using these IBM business automation platforms, as it enables persistent malicious activity that can remain undetected for extended periods. The stored nature of the XSS payload means that every user who accesses the affected functionality becomes a potential victim, making the impact exponential across the user base. Security teams must consider this vulnerability in their threat modeling exercises and recognize that attackers can use it to establish persistent access to business process automation environments. The potential for credential disclosure within trusted sessions aligns with ATT&CK technique T1539 which covers credentials in files, representing a critical compromise of authentication mechanisms.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including comprehensive input validation and output encoding for all user-controllable data within the web interface components. The recommended approach involves deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious JavaScript payloads, implementing strict content security policies, and ensuring that all user inputs are properly sanitized before storage. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing multi-factor authentication and session management improvements to reduce the impact of credential compromise. IBM has released patches and fixes for this vulnerability that should be applied immediately, while security monitoring should include detection of suspicious JavaScript payloads in web application logs and user interface components. The remediation process should also involve regular security assessments of the web application interface to identify and address similar vulnerabilities in the broader application ecosystem.