CVE-2024-27266: IBM Maximo Application Suite XXE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-27266 Overview

CVE-2024-27266 is an XML External Entity (XXE) injection vulnerability in IBM Maximo Application Suite version 7.6.1.3. The flaw exists in the XML parsing logic, which improperly resolves external entity references in attacker-controlled XML data. A remote, unauthenticated attacker can exploit this weakness over the network to disclose sensitive files or trigger excessive memory consumption. The issue is tracked as IBM X-Force ID 284566 and is classified under CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can read sensitive files and exhaust server memory by submitting malicious XML payloads to IBM Maximo Application Suite 7.6.1.3.

Affected Products

IBM Maximo Application Suite 7.6.1.3
Deployments exposing Maximo XML processing endpoints to untrusted networks
Integrations consuming external XML data through Maximo APIs

Discovery Timeline

2024-03-14 - CVE-2024-27266 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-27266

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the XML parser used by IBM Maximo Application Suite when ingesting XML documents. The parser fails to disable external entity resolution, allowing attacker-supplied DOCTYPE declarations to reference external resources. When the server processes a crafted XML payload, the parser dereferences these external entities and embeds their content in the response or processing flow.

The primary impact is confidentiality loss through arbitrary file disclosure on the host. The parser can also be coerced into resolving recursive or oversized entities, leading to memory exhaustion and degraded service availability. The CVSS impact metrics reflect high confidentiality impact and low availability impact, with no impact to integrity.

Root Cause

The root cause is a misconfigured XML parser that leaves external entity resolution and DOCTYPE processing enabled by default. Secure XML parsing requires explicitly disabling features such as external general entities, external parameter entities, and inline DTD declarations. Maximo 7.6.1.3 does not enforce these restrictions, which maps to [CWE-611].

Attack Vector

An unauthenticated remote attacker submits a malicious XML document to a Maximo endpoint that accepts XML input. The payload typically defines an external entity referencing a local file URI such as file:///etc/passwd or an HTTP URI controlled by the attacker. The parser resolves the entity during document processing, and the contents are returned in the response or processed in a way that leaks data. Alternative payloads, such as billion-laughs style nested entities, drive the process toward memory exhaustion.

No verified public proof-of-concept is associated with this CVE. Refer to the IBM Support Advisory and the IBM X-Force Vulnerability Report for vendor-supplied technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-27266

Indicators of Compromise

Inbound HTTP requests to Maximo endpoints containing <!DOCTYPE, <!ENTITY, or SYSTEM keywords in XML bodies
XML payloads referencing file://, http://, or ftp:// URIs in entity declarations
Unexpected outbound connections from Maximo servers to unfamiliar external hosts
Spikes in JVM memory usage or process restarts on Maximo application servers

Detection Strategies

Inspect web application firewall (WAF) and reverse proxy logs for XML request bodies containing external entity declarations
Correlate Maximo application logs with outbound network telemetry to identify entity resolution attempts
Monitor file system access patterns on Maximo servers for reads of sensitive configuration or credential files by the application user

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose XML parser logging on Maximo nodes to capture DTD and entity resolution events
Forward Maximo HTTP request, application, and host telemetry to a centralized analytics platform for cross-source correlation
Alert on sustained increases in JVM heap usage or garbage collection activity that may indicate entity expansion attacks

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-27266

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the IBM-provided fix referenced in the IBM Support Advisory for Maximo Application Suite 7.6.1.3
Restrict network access to Maximo XML processing endpoints to trusted internal networks only
Deploy WAF rules that block XML payloads containing DOCTYPE or external entity declarations
Audit Maximo logs for prior XML requests matching XXE patterns and assess potential data exposure

Patch Information

IBM has published remediation guidance in the IBM Support Advisory for node 7141270. Administrators should follow the vendor's update instructions for Maximo Application Suite 7.6.1.3 and validate that XML parsers are configured to disable external entity processing after patching. Additional vulnerability metadata is available in the IBM X-Force Vulnerability Report.

Workarounds

Configure upstream proxies or WAFs to strip or reject XML requests containing <!DOCTYPE or <!ENTITY directives
Where feasible, disable XML-based integration endpoints that are not required for business operations
Enforce egress filtering on Maximo servers to block outbound connections to non-allowlisted destinations, limiting entity resolution to attacker infrastructure

bash

# Example egress restriction using iptables on a Maximo host
iptables -A OUTPUT -m owner --uid-owner maximo -d 10.0.0.0/8 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A OUTPUT -m owner --uid-owner maximo -j REJECT