CVE-2024-22353 - Exploiting Denial of Service Vulnerability in IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty Versions 17...3 to 24...4

A vulnerability has been discovered within IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty versions 17...3 through 24...4, which could allow a remote attacker to cause a Denial of Service (DoS). This vulnerability is identified as CVE-2024-22353, and if exploited, could lead to excessive memory consumption resulting in a server crash.

In this long read post, we will be discussing the details of this vulnerability, how it can be exploited, and ways to mitigate the impact. We will also provide a code snippet and links to original references to help understand the exploit.

Vulnerability Details

IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty is prone to a DoS vulnerability caused by sending a specially crafted request to the server. As a result, the server ends up consuming a large amount of memory resources.

IBM X-Force ID has also recognized this vulnerability and assigned the reference number 280400 to it. You can read more about it in IBM's official advisory: IBM X-Force ID: 280400.

Exploiting the Vulnerability

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a carefully crafted request to the affected server. This can be done using tools commonly used for generating HTTP requests, such as the popular Python library 'Requests.'

Here's a Python code snippet to demonstrate how an attacker might craft a malicious request to exploit the vulnerability:

import requests

url = "http://target_ibm_websphere_server/endpoint";
malicious_payload = "INSERT_MALICIOUS_PAYLOAD_HERE"

headers = {
    "Content-Type": "application/xml"
}

response = requests.post(url, data=malicious_payload, headers=headers)

if response.status_code == 200:
    print("Request sent. Check if the server is affected.")
else:
    print("Error sending request.")

*Note: Replace "http://target_ibm_websphere_server/endpoint" with the actual URL of the targeted IBM WebSphere server and "INSERT_MALICIOUS_PAYLOAD_HERE" with the crafted malicious payload.

Mitigating the Impact

IBM has released patches for affected versions of WebSphere Application Server Liberty to address this vulnerability. The recommended action is to update the software to the latest version which contains security fixes to prevent exploitation.

You can find details on how to download and apply the necessary patches in the official IBM Security Bulletin: Security Bulletin: Multiple Vulnerabilities in IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty.

In addition to patching the server, it is crucial to implement proper security measures like a Web Application Firewall (WAF) and Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS) to protect your infrastructure against similar threats.

Conclusion

The CVE-2024-22353 vulnerability can be often exploited by a remote attacker to cause Denial of Service (DoS) in IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty versions 17...3 through 24...4. It is essential to apply security patches and maintain an up-to-date server environment to prevent these types of attacks.

It's crucial that organizations be proactive in monitoring their networks and systems for potential vulnerabilities and ensure the swift application of patches and updates, so the risk of future exploitations is minimized.

Timeline

Published on: 03/31/2024 12:15:50 UTC
Last modified on: 05/16/2024 00:15:08 UTC