The application is configured to allow WebSphere to serve Servlets by their class names.
Allowing Servlets to be served by their class name allows any attacker who knows a Servlet's name to invoke it directly, even when it is not mapped in the application's deployment descriptor.
For example, consider an application that contains a Servlet named com.ibm.websphere.samples.MyServlet
. When serveServletsByClassnameEnabled
is set to true
in ibm-web-ext.xmi
, it is possible to call the servlet by requesting:http://www.example.com/SomeContextPath/servlet/com.ibm.websphere.samples.MyServlet
.
Worse, depending on the server's classloader structure, an attacker might be able to invoke Servlets from other applications hosted in the same WebSphere instance.
[1] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2007 - (OWASP 2007) A10 Failure to Restrict URL Access
[2] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2004 - (OWASP 2004) A10 Insecure Configuration Management
[3] Standards Mapping - OWASP Top 10 2010 - (OWASP 2010) A6 Security Misconfiguration
[4] Standards Mapping - Security Technical Implementation Guide Version 3 - (STIG 3) APP3480.2 CAT II
[5] Standards Mapping - FIPS200 - (FISMA) CM
[6] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.1 - (PCI 1.1) Requirement 6.5.10, Requirement 7.2
[7] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 1.2 - (PCI 1.2) Requirement 6.5.10, Requirement 7.2
[8] Standards Mapping - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Version 2.0 - (PCI 2.0) Requirement 6.5.8, Requirement 7.2
[9] Keys Botzum WebSphere Application Server V6 advanced security hardening -- Part 1