CVE-2024-41744 in CICS TX Standard
Summary
by MITRE • 11/01/2024
IBM CICS TX Standard 11.1 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.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/18/2025
IBM CICS TX Standard 11.1 contains a cross-site request forgery vulnerability that represents a critical security flaw in enterprise transaction processing systems. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-352 category, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks, where an attacker tricks a victim's browser into executing unauthorized actions on a web application. The flaw exists in the web-based management interface of CICS TX Standard, which is commonly used for transaction processing and system monitoring in mainframe environments. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious web pages or links that, when visited by an authenticated user, automatically submit requests to the CICS TX system without the user's knowledge or consent. The vulnerability specifically affects the authentication and authorization mechanisms within the web interface, allowing unauthorized transactions to be initiated by leveraging the trust relationship between the user's browser and the CICS system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond typical web application security concerns due to the critical nature of CICS transaction processing systems in enterprise environments. When exploited, this CSRF vulnerability could enable attackers to perform unauthorized administrative actions, modify transaction configurations, access sensitive business data, or disrupt critical transaction processing workflows. The attack vector typically involves social engineering techniques where users are tricked into clicking malicious links or visiting compromised websites while maintaining an active session with the CICS system. This scenario is particularly dangerous in enterprise settings where CICS systems handle mission-critical financial transactions, customer data processing, and business operations that require strict security controls. The vulnerability could potentially allow attackers to escalate privileges, create unauthorized user accounts, or manipulate transaction processing parameters that could lead to significant financial losses or operational disruptions.
Organizations utilizing IBM CICS TX Standard 11.1 should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including implementing proper CSRF token validation mechanisms and enhancing web application security controls. The recommended approach involves deploying anti-CSRF tokens that are generated per user session and validated on each request to ensure that requests originate from legitimate user interactions rather than automated attacks. Additionally, implementing strict referer header validation and SameSite cookie attributes can provide additional layers of protection against CSRF attacks. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive security assessments of the CICS web interfaces and monitor for suspicious activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. From a defensive perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which covers the use of spearphishing attachments and links to gain initial access, and T1078 which addresses legitimate credentials usage for persistence. The vulnerability demonstrates how traditional mainframe security controls may not adequately protect web-facing interfaces, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security strategies that address both legacy system integrity and modern web application threats.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the increasing complexity of securing enterprise transaction processing systems that must balance legacy system functionality with modern security requirements. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation strategies to limit access to CICS web interfaces, deploy web application firewalls specifically configured to detect and block CSRF attacks, and establish robust monitoring protocols for transaction processing anomalies. Regular security updates and patches should be prioritized, with particular attention to the IBM CICS TX Standard 11.1 release notes for any official security fixes. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of user security awareness training, particularly for system administrators who may be targeted through social engineering attacks that exploit this CSRF weakness. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure they can effectively detect and respond to potential CSRF exploitation attempts in transaction processing environments where the stakes are particularly high due to the critical nature of business operations and data integrity requirements.