36590: Hacking CICS Applications: New Attacks On Old Screens

Project and Program: Service Delivery, Security and Compliance

Tags: Proceedings , SHARE Orlando 2024 , 2024

In early 2023 a new mainframe attack tool was discussed: hack3270. The creators of this tool spoke about it but did not release it. Then in mid 2023 it was released as an opensource tool. This tool was designed (with support from the speaker) to ease and accelerate the testing of CICS applications, specifically targeting TN3270 weaknesses and common CICS application pitfalls. Attendees will learn some of the common security weaknesses we find in CICS applications, how we can target those weaknesses and how to automate some of their testing. Specifically this talk will walk through various transactions in the Damn Vulnerable CICS Application (freely available as an opensource CICS application) using the hack3270 tool, demonstrating the types of attacks used during penetration tests. The presentation will also go over some of the code that leads to these weaknesses and how they can be prevented. Come witness the bleeding edge of application security research. -- Presented by Philip Young

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