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SocialminerApplication · Cisco

CVE-2013-5489

MEDIUM · 5.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2013-09-13
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
59/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The gadget implementation in Cisco SocialMiner does not properly restrict the content of GET requests, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information by reading (1) web-server access logs, (2) web-server Referer logs, or (3) the browser history, aka Bug ID CSCuh74125.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

The gadget implementation in Cisco SocialMiner fails to properly restrict or sanitize content included in GET request URLs. This causes sensitive information (such as session tokens, credentials, or user data) to be transmitted via URL parameters, which then get recorded in web server access logs, Referer headers stored on external sites, and the user's browser history. An attacker with access to these log sources can retrieve the sensitive data.

MitigationRestrict or prohibit sensitive data from being transmitted via GET request parameters; use POST requests for sensitive information instead. Implement URL parameter validation/sanitization in the gadget framework, and consider clearing or securing access to server logs.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
SocialminerApplication
Affected:all versions

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Partial
Integrity
None
Availability
None

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm Cisco SocialMiner is deployed
    Identify if Cisco SocialMiner is installed in your environment by checking for the service/process, installation directories, or network exposure of SocialMiner ports/web interfaces
    Affected if SocialMiner is present and the gadget framework is in use
  2. Identify gadget framework usage
    Review the SocialMiner gadget configuration and identify any custom or third-party gadgets that may transmit user data. Check gadget XML definitions and associated JavaScript for GET request handling
    Affected if Gadgets are configured and they transmit user data via URL parameters
  3. Examine web server access logs for sensitive URL parameters
    Locate and review SocialMiner web server access logs (typically in /opt/cisco/socialminer/logs or similar). Search for log entries containing sensitive keywords in URL query strings (e.g., 'token', 'session', 'password', 'credential', 'userid', 'auth')
    Affected if Access logs contain GET requests with sensitive data visible in URL parameters
  4. Check for sensitive data in Referer headers
    If accessible, review downstream server logs or external analytics systems that receive Referer headers from SocialMiner. Look for sensitive URL parameters being transmitted as part of the Referer URL
    Affected if Referer headers captured elsewhere contain SocialMiner URLs with sensitive parameters
  5. Inspect browser history exposure risk
    Identify if users access SocialMiner gadgets through browsers. Review whether shared workstations, browser sync features, or browser history logging could expose URLs containing sensitive parameters
    Affected if Browsers have access to SocialMiner gadget URLs with sensitive GET parameters

Your environment is affected if Cisco SocialMiner with gadget framework is deployed and sensitive user data (tokens, credentials, user identifiers) is transmitted via GET request URL parameters, which then get recorded in logs or can be captured from browser history.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Restrict or prohibit sensitive data from being transmitted via GET request parameters; use POST requests for sensitive information instead. Implement URL parameter validation/sanitization in the gadget framework, and consider clearing or securing access to server logs.

Fix this in Socialminer Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2013-5489 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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