CVE-2024-56339: IBM WebSphere Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2024-56339 Overview

CVE-2024-56339 affects IBM WebSphere Application Server 9.0 and WebSphere Application Server Liberty versions 17.0.0.3 through 25.0.0.7. The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to bypass security restrictions because the server fails to honor its configured security policy. The flaw is categorized under [CWE-650] (Trusting HTTP Permission Methods on the Server Side). Successful exploitation enables an unauthenticated network attacker to perform actions that should be blocked by the application server's security configuration, impacting data integrity.

Critical Impact

Remote unauthenticated attackers can bypass security restrictions on IBM WebSphere Application Server, undermining configured access controls and integrity protections.

Affected Products

• IBM WebSphere Application Server 9.0
• IBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty 17.0.0.3 through 25.0.0.7
• Deployments relying on WebSphere security configuration enforcement

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-08-07 - CVE-2024-56339 published to NVD
• 2025-08-14 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-56339

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from IBM WebSphere Application Server failing to honor its configured security restrictions. Administrators define security constraints to control access to protected resources and operations. The server does not consistently apply those constraints at request handling time. A remote attacker can craft HTTP requests that reach functionality the configuration was intended to block.

The issue maps to [CWE-650], which describes servers that trust client-supplied HTTP method or permission indicators rather than enforcing server-side policy. In practice, this allows an attacker to manipulate request characteristics and obtain processing paths that the security configuration should have rejected. The CVSS vector indicates impact concentrated on integrity (C:N/I:H/A:N), aligning with unauthorized modifications rather than disclosure or denial of service.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper enforcement of declared security constraints within the WebSphere request processing pipeline. The runtime trusts characteristics of the incoming HTTP request that should not be authoritative for authorization decisions. This gap allows requests to reach handlers that the deployment descriptor or server configuration intended to restrict.

Attack Vector

Exploitation occurs over the network with low attack complexity. No authentication or user interaction is required. An attacker sends specially formed HTTP requests to the WebSphere endpoint and bypasses the configured restriction to invoke protected operations. Refer to the IBM Support Page for vendor-specific technical details.

No verified public exploit code is available for this vulnerability. Technical details are described in prose; see the vendor advisory for affected component specifics.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-56339

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests using non-standard methods or method overrides targeting protected WebSphere URLs
• Successful responses (2xx) for resources that should require authentication based on web.xml security-constraint declarations
• Unexpected administrative or application state changes following anonymous traffic to WebSphere endpoints

Detection Strategies

• Compare access logs against declared security-constraint and auth-constraint mappings to identify requests bypassing intended controls
• Alert on requests carrying headers such as X-HTTP-Method-Override to protected paths
• Inspect WebSphere audit logs for authorization decisions that diverge from configured roles

Monitoring Recommendations

• Forward WebSphere access and audit logs to a centralized analytics platform for correlation
• Baseline expected request methods per endpoint and alert on deviations
• Monitor outbound application behavior for integrity-impacting changes initiated by unauthenticated sessions

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-56339

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the fix referenced in the IBM Support Page for WebSphere Application Server 9.0 and Liberty 17.0.0.3 through 25.0.0.7
• Inventory all WebSphere instances and identify versions exposed to untrusted networks
• Restrict network access to WebSphere management and application ports until patching is complete

Patch Information

IBM has published remediation guidance on the IBM Support Page. Administrators should apply the interim fix or upgrade to a fixed Liberty release as directed by the advisory. Validate the patch in a staging environment before production rollout and confirm that security-constraint behavior matches policy after the update.

Workarounds

• Place WebSphere endpoints behind a reverse proxy or web application firewall that enforces method and path-level access controls
• Disable or filter HTTP method override headers at the perimeter
• Tighten web.xml security-constraint definitions to explicitly enumerate allowed methods and roles for every protected resource

# Example perimeter rule to strip method override headers before reaching WebSphere
# (nginx reverse proxy configuration snippet)
location / {
    proxy_set_header X-HTTP-Method-Override "";
    proxy_set_header X-Method-Override "";
    proxy_set_header X-HTTP-Method "";
    proxy_pass http://websphere_backend;
}