# CVE-2013-0540: Auth bypass in n/a

> Authenticated users can bypass access restrictions in IBM WebSphere Liberty Profile when SSL is disabled, potentially escalating privileges.

- **Severity:** Low 3.5 (`AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:N/I:P/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 24 Apr 2013
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-w6qr-m3xv-ffm8

## What is CVE-2013-0540?

CVE-2013-0540 is a low-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Ibm Websphere Application Server, published on 24 Apr 2013. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS) Liberty Profile 8.5 before 8.5.0.2, when SSL is not enabled, does not properly validate authentication cookies, which allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended access restrictions via an HTTP session.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2013-0540?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Websphere Application Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2013-0540?

No fix has been published for CVE-2013-0540 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2013-0540 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2013-0540 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Ibm Websphere Application Server

- [CVE-2015-1920](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-1920/): Code injection in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2013-0462](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-0462/): Other in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2011-1377](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-1377/): Security feature bypass in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2010-3186](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-3186/): Other in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2009-1899](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-1899/): Information disclosure in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2013-0540 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2013-0540 is a low-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Ibm Websphere Application Server, published on 24 Apr 2013. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2013-0540 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Ibm Websphere Application Server. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-0540/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-0540/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2013-0540
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-0540
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2013-0540

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-0540/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.