CVE-2023-23473 in InfoSphere Information Server
Summary
by MITRE • 08/28/2023
IBM InfoSphere Information Server 11.7 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: 245400.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/20/2023
IBM InfoSphere Information Server version 11.7 contains a cross-site request forgery vulnerability that enables attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. This weakness falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation within the web application interface. Attackers can exploit this flaw by crafting malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate users who have established sessions with the application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows adversaries to perform actions that the authenticated user is authorized to execute within the InfoSphere Information Server environment. This includes but is not limited to modifying data, creating new user accounts, altering system configurations, or accessing sensitive information. The attack typically involves tricking a victim into clicking on a malicious link or visiting a compromised website that automatically submits requests to the vulnerable server. Since the server trusts the authenticated session, it processes these requests without additional verification, effectively executing malicious commands with the privileges of the legitimate user.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1531 technique for Account Access Removal and T1078 Valid Accounts, as attackers can leverage legitimate user sessions to perform unauthorized operations. The risk is elevated in environments where users have administrative privileges or access to sensitive data repositories. The vulnerability affects the web-based management interface of InfoSphere Information Server, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where this tool is commonly used for data integration and governance tasks. Organizations utilizing this platform may experience data integrity compromises, unauthorized access to critical business information, and potential compliance violations.
The recommended mitigations include implementing proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms that are generated per session and validated on each request, ensuring that all state-changing operations require explicit user confirmation, and implementing robust origin validation checks. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as multi-factor authentication, regular security assessments, and network segmentation to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. IBM has released patches and updates to address this specific vulnerability, and system administrators should immediately apply these updates to protect their environments. Additionally, monitoring for suspicious activities and implementing web application firewalls can provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts.