CVE-2022-31773 in DataPower Gateway V10CD
Summary
by MITRE • 08/26/2022
IBM DataPower Gateway V10CD, 10.0.1, and 2018.4.1 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: 228357.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/02/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-31773 affects IBM DataPower Gateway versions 10CD, 10.0.1, and 2018.4.1, representing a critical cross-site request forgery flaw that undermines the security posture of enterprise API management and integration platforms. This vulnerability resides within the web-based administrative interface of the DataPower Gateway, which serves as a crucial component for securing and managing enterprise web services. The affected system operates as a multi-protocol gateway that handles various network protocols including http https soap and xml, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to exploit authentication and authorization mechanisms. The vulnerability specifically impacts the administrative console functionality that allows system administrators to configure and manage gateway policies, certificates, and other critical operational parameters through web-based interfaces.
The technical flaw manifests as the absence of proper cross-site request forgery protection mechanisms within the DataPower administrative web interface. This deficiency allows an attacker to craft malicious web pages or links that, when clicked by an authenticated user, automatically submit requests to the DataPower Gateway without the user's knowledge or consent. The vulnerability stems from the lack of anti-forgery tokens or similar validation mechanisms that would normally verify the authenticity of requests originating from the legitimate administrative interface. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform unauthorized administrative actions such as modifying gateway configurations, adding or removing certificates, changing user permissions, or altering security policies that could severely compromise the integrity and availability of the protected services. The flaw operates at the application layer and specifically targets the web application security controls that should prevent unauthorized modifications to critical system parameters.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access as it provides attackers with the ability to manipulate the core infrastructure that protects enterprise web services. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially redirect traffic, modify security policies, or disable critical gateway functions that would affect multiple applications and services relying on the DataPower Gateway for protection. The consequences could include data exfiltration through modified proxy configurations, service disruption through altered routing policies, or complete compromise of the gateway's ability to enforce security controls. Organizations using affected DataPower versions may experience unauthorized modifications to their security infrastructure, potentially leading to widespread service degradation or complete system compromise. The vulnerability particularly affects enterprises that depend heavily on DataPower for API management, web service security, and enterprise integration, making it a significant risk to organizations with complex network security architectures.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-31773 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems with the vendor-provided security updates. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the DataPower administrative interfaces, ensuring that only authorized personnel can reach these critical management functions. Additional protective measures include implementing robust access controls, enabling multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts, and conducting regular security audits of gateway configurations. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for the initial access phase through spearphishing with a malicious attachment or link. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for unusual administrative activities that could indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security awareness training for system administrators can help prevent social engineering attacks that might exploit this vulnerability, and network monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous requests to administrative endpoints that could indicate unauthorized access attempts.