CVE-2016-2861

Vulnerability

CVE-2016-2861 is a cryptographic weakness in IBM WebSphere eXtreme Scale client versions 7.1.0 before 7.1.0.3, 7.1.1 before 7.1.1.1, 8.5 before 8.5.0.3, and 8.6 before 8.6.0.8. The software uses weaker-than-expected encryption to protect data, which may allow an attacker who can capture network traffic to decrypt sensitive information. This vulnerability specifically applies to the WebSphere eXtreme Scale client, and only when WebSphere eXtreme Scale is used as the provider for the WebSphere Dynamic Cache [1].

Exploitation

To exploit CVE-2016-2861, an attacker must be in a position to sniff network traffic between the WebSphere eXtreme Scale client and server. The attacker does not require authentication or user interaction, but the attack complexity is high due to the need to capture and decrypt traffic. No special privileges or write access are needed; the attacker only needs network access to observe the communications [1].

Impact

Successful exploitation leads to the disclosure of sensitive information that was transmitted over the network. The impact is limited to confidentiality loss (information disclosure), with no effect on integrity or availability. The compromised data could include cached content, authentication tokens, or other data handled by the Dynamic Cache provider [1].

Mitigation

IBM released fixes for all affected versions: WebSphere eXtreme Scale 7.1.0.3, 7.1.1.1, 8.5.0.3, and 8.6.0.8. Users should upgrade to these fixed versions as listed in the security bulletin [1]. No workarounds have been provided for unpatched versions. This CVE is not known to be listed in the KEV catalog.