IBM WebSphere Application Server cross-site scripting
IBM WebSphere Application Server 8.5 and 9.0 is vulnerable to stored cross-site scripting. This vulnerability allows a privileged user to embed arbitrary JavaScript code in the Web UI thus altering the intended functionality potentially leading to credentials disclosure within a trusted session.
- Published
- Oct 16, 2024
- Updated
- Jun 17, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.2% · 14th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-79
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Report tools
Action score
19
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 19 / 40 · 4.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.2%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- partial
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 4.8
- CNA · ibm
- 5.5
- 0.7 point gap
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| ibm | websphere application server | cpe:2.3:a:ibm:websphere_application_server |
| ibm | aix | cpe:2.3:o:ibm:aix |
| ibm | i | cpe:2.3:o:ibm:i |
| ibm | z\/os | cpe:2.3:o:ibm:z\/os |
| hp | hp-ux | cpe:2.3:o:hp:hp-ux |
| linux | linux kernel | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel |
| microsoft | windows | cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows |
| oracle | solaris | cpe:2.3:o:oracle:solaris |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- ibm websphere application server8.5.0.0 and later · up to 8.5.5.26 inclusive
- ibm websphere application server9.0.0.0 and later · up to 9.0.5.21 inclusive
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (ibm). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
IBM WebSphere Application Server
- 8.5, 9.0affected
Same product
ibm: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2019-4279IBM WebSphere Application Server 8.5 and 9.0 could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the system with a specially-crafted 63This week
- CVE-2020-4450IBM WebSphere Application Server 8.5 and 9.0 traditional could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the system with a specia49Plan
- CVE-2025-36038IBM WebSphere Application Server code execution43Plan
- CVE-2020-4448IBM WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment 7.0, 8.0, 8.5, and 9.0 could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the sy43Plan
- CVE-2020-4589IBM WebSphere Application Server 7.0, 8.0, 8.5, and 9.0 could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the system with a special42Plan
- CVE-2015-1920IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) 6.1 through 6.1.0.47, 7.0 before 7.0.0.39, 8.0 before 8.0.0.11, and 8.5 before 8.5.5.6 allows remote 42Plan
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
- CVE-2025-33104210 days apartIBM WebSphere Application Server cross30Monitor
- CVE-2024-27270203 days apartIBM WebSphere Application Server Liberty cross-site scripting24Monitor
- CVE-2023-24966538 days apartIBM WebSphere Application Server cross-site scripting24Monitor
- CVE-2025-12635418 days apartIBM WebSphere Application Server and WebSphere Application Server Liberty Cross-Site Scripting21Monitor
- CVE-2024-4507316 days apartIBM WebSphere Application Server cross-site scripting19Monitor
- CVE-2024-4508726 days apartIBM WebSphere Application Server cross-site scripting19Monitor
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
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Bug bounty scope
The product’s vendor appears in a public program. Matched by name; verify the scope text in the program.
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- Administrator privileges are required.
- A user must open a link or visit a page.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- low · data can be read
- Integrity
- low · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- none
Impact can extend beyond the vulnerable component (scope changes).
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- High
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality impact
- Low
- Integrity impact
- Low
- Availability impact
- None
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-79 · Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
nvd-primary
Root cause
User content is inserted into the page as HTML. The browser interprets the content as code rather than data.
The bug in code
The whole CWE-79 classA representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.
Vulnerable
commentEl.innerHTML = comment.body;Fixed
commentEl.textContent = comment.body;Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
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Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.
References
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.