CVE-2005-0505 in Information Resource Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown vulnerability in Information Resource Manager (IRM) before 1.5.2.1 allows remote attackers has "potentially serious" impact, related to LDAP logins.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/21/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0505 affects the Information Resource Manager (IRM) software version 1.5.2.1 and earlier, representing a significant security weakness that enables remote attackers to exploit LDAP authentication mechanisms. This issue falls under the category of authentication bypass vulnerabilities, where the flaw allows unauthorized access to systems through manipulated LDAP login processes. The vulnerability's classification as having "potentially serious" impact indicates that it could lead to unauthorized system access, data breaches, or privilege escalation within the affected environment. The root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and authentication handling within the IRM software's LDAP integration components, creating a pathway for malicious actors to circumvent legitimate authentication procedures.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves improper handling of LDAP authentication requests, where the IRM software fails to adequately validate or sanitize user credentials passed through LDAP protocols. This weakness creates opportunities for attackers to manipulate authentication flows, potentially allowing them to authenticate as legitimate users or gain administrative access to the system. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access to the system, enabling them to target the affected IRM instances from external networks. The flaw likely resides in the software's LDAP bind operations or credential validation routines, where insufficient sanitization of input parameters allows malicious payloads to be processed as legitimate authentication requests. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and represents a critical weakness in the authentication framework that could enable privilege escalation attacks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses substantial risks to organizations using affected IRM software, particularly those relying on LDAP-based authentication for their information resources. The potential impact includes unauthorized access to sensitive data, system compromise, and possible lateral movement within network environments where the IRM is deployed. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access, escalate privileges, or conduct reconnaissance activities against other systems within the network. The remote nature of the exploit means that organizations may be vulnerable to attacks from anywhere on the internet, without requiring local network access or physical presence. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability as a high-priority concern, especially in environments where IRM is used for managing critical information resources and where LDAP authentication is implemented.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to IRM version 1.5.2.1 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the LDAP authentication vulnerability. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of affected systems to untrusted networks. Implementing additional authentication layers such as multi-factor authentication can provide defense-in-depth against potential exploitation attempts. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual authentication patterns or LDAP-related activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining instances of the vulnerable software within the organization's infrastructure. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing robust authentication security practices as outlined in industry standards such as those provided by the Center for Internet Security and NIST guidelines for secure system configuration.