CVE-2018-1702 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

A XML External Entity Injection (XXE) attack can be carried out on vulnerable versions of IBM Platform Symphony 7.1 Fix Pack 1 and 7.1.1, as well as IBM Spectrum Symphony 7.1.2 and 7.2.0.2. This attack allows a remote attacker to potentially access confidential data or cause excessive memory usage. Please note the IBM X-Force ID associated with this vulnerability is 146189.

Understanding CVE-2018-1702

IBM Platform Symphony 7.1 Fix Pack 1 and 7.1.1, along with IBM Spectrum Symphony 7.1.2 and 7.2.0.2, are susceptible to an XML External Entity Injection (XXE) attack.

What is CVE-2018-1702?

CVE-2018-1702 is a vulnerability that enables a remote attacker to exploit XML processing in IBM Platform Symphony and IBM Spectrum Symphony, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data or causing memory resource exhaustion.

The Impact of CVE-2018-1702

The vulnerability poses a high severity risk with a CVSS base score of 7.1. It can result in a breach of confidentiality, allowing attackers to retrieve critical information and trigger excessive memory consumption.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-1702

IBM Platform Symphony and IBM Spectrum Symphony are affected by an XML External Entity Injection vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in IBM Platform Symphony 7.1 Fix Pack 1, 7.1.1, IBM Spectrum Symphony 7.1.2, and 7.2.0.2 allows for XXE attacks, enabling unauthorized access to sensitive data.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Spectrum Symphony
Vendor: IBM
Versions Affected: 7.2.0.2, 7.1.2
Product: Platform Symphony
Vendor: IBM
Versions Affected: 7.1.1, 7.1

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited remotely by manipulating XML data, potentially leading to information disclosure or memory exhaustion.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate action and long-term security practices are crucial to mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2018-1702.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply official fixes provided by IBM to address the vulnerability.
Monitor and restrict network access to vulnerable systems.
Implement strict input validation mechanisms to prevent XXE attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch software to eliminate known vulnerabilities.
Conduct security assessments and penetration testing to identify and remediate weaknesses.

Patching and Updates

IBM has released patches to address the XXE vulnerability in affected versions of Platform Symphony and Spectrum Symphony.