CVE-2006-5161 in Client Security Password Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Client Security Password Manager stores and distributes saved passwords based upon the title of a website, which allows remote attackers to obtain username and password credentials by changing the title of an HTML page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/23/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-5161 resides within IBM Client Security Password Manager, a credential management solution designed to store and distribute user authentication information across networked environments. This flaw represents a significant security weakness in the password management system's approach to credential storage and retrieval mechanisms. The vulnerability specifically affects how the software handles credential identification and association, creating an exploitable condition that undermines the fundamental security assumptions of password management systems.
The technical flaw manifests in the password manager's reliance on HTML page titles as the primary identifier for stored credentials rather than implementing more robust authentication mechanisms. When a user saves credentials for a particular website, the system associates those credentials with the title element of the HTML page. This approach creates a dangerous dependency on user-controllable data elements that can be easily manipulated by remote attackers. The vulnerability allows malicious actors to exploit this weak identification scheme by simply modifying the title attribute of an HTML page to match the title of a legitimate website, thereby enabling unauthorized access to stored credentials.
This weakness enables remote attackers to execute credential theft operations without requiring direct system compromise or advanced exploitation techniques. The attack vector leverages the predictable nature of how the password manager associates credentials with web page titles, making it possible for attackers to craft malicious HTML content that can retrieve stored authentication information from the password manager's database. The vulnerability essentially transforms the password manager from a protective security mechanism into a potential attack vector that facilitates unauthorized credential access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it represents a fundamental flaw in the password manager's architecture that can lead to widespread compromise of user accounts across multiple systems. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain access to sensitive corporate credentials, personal accounts, and potentially escalate privileges within networked environments. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it does not require specialized tools or advanced technical knowledge to exploit, making it accessible to a broad range of threat actors.
Organizations utilizing IBM Client Security Password Manager face significant risk exposure when this vulnerability remains unaddressed, as it creates a persistent attack surface that can be exploited repeatedly. The flaw undermines the trust model that password management systems are designed to establish, where users expect their credentials to be securely stored and only accessible through proper authentication mechanisms. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and represents a classic case of inadequate credential identification and association mechanisms that fail to properly validate or sanitize user-controllable data elements.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing stronger credential identification mechanisms that do not rely on easily manipulable HTML attributes. Organizations should consider upgrading to newer versions of the password management software that address this specific flaw, while also implementing additional security controls such as multi-factor authentication and regular security assessments of credential management systems. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that credential associations are based on more robust and immutable identifiers rather than user-controllable page elements. This vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of proper input validation and secure credential management practices in enterprise security architectures.