7.5

CVE-2016-9879: ibm websphere_application_server Communication Channel Errors

CVSS: 7.5v3.0HighModified
AliasesGHSA-v35c-49j6-q8hq
Published 06-01-2017Last modified 06-08-2024
Open JSON

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2016-9879 is a high (CVSS 7.5) Communication Channel Errors vulnerability in ibm websphere_application_server. EPSS estimates a 1.46% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 73% of scored vulnerabilities.

Overall risk
30/100
0100
Medium · default modelHow is this calculated?
CVSS score
7.5/10
010
High · v3.0 (NVD)
EPSS score
1.46%
0%100%
Low · +0.04 pp in 30 days
KEVNot listedIn no KEV catalog
RansomwareNone recordedNo known use recorded
Public exploits0No public exploits recorded

Timeline

  1. 06-01-2017
    PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
  2. 06-08-2024
    Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

An issue was discovered in Pivotal Spring Security before 3.2.10, 4.1.x before 4.1.4, and 4.2.x before 4.2.1. Spring Security does not consider URL path parameters when processing security constraints. By adding a URL path parameter with an encoded "/" to a request, an attacker may be able to bypass a security constraint. The root cause of this issue is a lack of clarity regarding the handling of path parameters in the Servlet Specification. Some Servlet containers include path parameters in the value returned for getPathInfo() and some do not. Spring Security uses the value returned by getPathInfo() as part of the process of mapping requests to security constraints. The unexpected presence of path parameters can cause a constraint to be bypassed. Users of Apache Tomcat (all current versions) are not affected by this vulnerability since Tomcat follows the guidance previously provided by the Servlet Expert group and strips path parameters from the value returned by getContextPath(), getServletPath(), and getPathInfo(). Users of other Servlet containers based on Apache Tomcat may or may not be affected depending on whether or not the handling of path parameters has been modified. Users of IBM WebSphere Application Server 8.5.x are known to be affected. Users of other containers that implement the Servlet specification may be affected.

CVSS metrics

3 scores · 2 sources · 2 versions

EPSS trend

Probability

1.46%

Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days

Percentile

73%

Versus all other CVEs

30-day change

+0.04 pp

From 1.42% on 18-09-2026

18-09-202618-10-2026
EPSS score
1.46%

Known exploited

Compare KEV catalogs

Not in any of the 3 tracked catalogs.

Public exploits

0 found

No public exploits indexed.

Weaknesses

CWE · root cause

Affected systems

Ibm1 product
  • websphere_application_server8.5.0.0 | 8.5.0.1 | 8.5.0.2 | 8.5.5.0 | 8.5.5.1 | 8.5.5.2 | 8.5.5.3 | 8.5.5.4 | 8.5.5.5 | 8.5.5.6 | 8.5.5.7 | 8.5.5.8 | 8.5.5.9
Org.springframework.security1 product
  • spring-security-core< 3.2.10.RELEASE | ≥ 4.0.0.RELEASE, < 4.1.4.RELEASE | ≥ 4.2.0.RELEASE, < 4.2.1.RELEASE
Vmware1 product
  • spring_security3.2.0 | 3.2.1 | 3.2.2 | 3.2.3 | 3.2.4 | 3.2.5 | 3.2.6 | 3.2.7 | 3.2.8 | 3.2.9 | 4.1.0 | 4.1.1 | 4.1.2 | 4.1.3 | 4.2.0

3 vendors · 3 products

References

4 links