# CVE-2017-1503: Cross-site scripting in IBM WebSphere Application Server

> Remote attackers can exploit HTTP response splitting to perform cross-site scripting and cache poisoning, potentially exposing sensitive information.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.1 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 10 Oct 2017
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xc66-8wc2-287h

## What is CVE-2017-1503?

CVE-2017-1503 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Ibm Websphere Application Server, published on 10 Oct 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

IBM WebSphere Application Server 7.0, 8.0, 8.5, and 9.0 is vulnerable to HTTP response splitting attacks. A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability using specially-crafted URL to cause the server to return a split response, once the URL is clicked. This would allow the attacker to perform further attacks, such as Web cache poisoning, cross-site scripting, and possibly obtain sensitive information. IBM X-Force ID: 129578.

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-1503?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Websphere Application Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-1503?

No fix has been published for CVE-2017-1503 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2017-1503 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-1503 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-2017-1503 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-1503 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Ibm Websphere Application Server, published on 10 Oct 2017. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-1503 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-2017-1503/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-1503/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-1503
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-1503
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-1503

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-1503/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.