CVE-2023-38360 in CICS TX Advanced
Summary
by MITRE • 03/04/2024
IBM CICS TX Advanced 10.1 is vulnerable to 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: 260769.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2025
IBM CICS TX Advanced version 10.1 contains a cross-site scripting vulnerability that represents a critical security flaw in the web-based user interface component. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, where malicious actors can inject client-side scripts into web applications that are then executed by other users. The flaw specifically affects the web UI rendering mechanism that processes user inputs without proper sanitization or encoding of potentially malicious content. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting specially formatted input that gets embedded directly into the web interface, allowing them to execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of a victim's browser session. The security implications extend beyond simple script execution as this vulnerability can be leveraged to hijack user sessions and potentially extract sensitive credentials or session tokens that are typically protected by the browser's same-origin policy.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is particularly severe given that CICS TX Advanced is designed for enterprise transaction processing and typically handles sensitive business data. When an authenticated user interacts with the vulnerable web interface, the malicious JavaScript code can access the same browser session context as legitimate users, potentially enabling attackers to capture session cookies, form data, or other sensitive information transmitted within the trusted session. The vulnerability essentially undermines the trust boundary that should exist between the application and its users, allowing unauthorized code execution that could lead to complete account takeovers or data exfiltration. This risk is amplified because the attack vector requires minimal user interaction beyond accessing the vulnerable web interface, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users maintain persistent sessions with elevated privileges.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a prime example of how modern web applications must implement robust input validation and output encoding mechanisms to prevent client-side code injection attacks. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, where adversaries leverage browser-based scripting capabilities to execute malicious payloads. Organizations utilizing IBM CICS TX Advanced should immediately implement mitigations including input sanitization of all user-provided data, proper HTML encoding of dynamic content, and deployment of Content Security Policy headers to restrict script execution. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in the web application layer. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of keeping enterprise transaction processing systems updated with the latest security patches, as IBM has likely released remediation measures to address this specific XSS flaw in their security updates.