CVE-2006-6607 in Tivoli Identity Manager
Summary
by MITRE
The Java Key Store (JKS) for WebSphere Application Server (WAS) for IBM Tivoli Identity Manager (ITIM) 4.6 places the JKS password in a -Djavax.net.ssl.trustStorePassword command line argument, which allows local users to obtain the password by listing the process or using other methods.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-6607 represents a critical security flaw in the IBM Tivoli Identity Manager 4.6 implementation of WebSphere Application Server. This issue stems from improper handling of cryptographic key store credentials within the Java runtime environment, creating an exploitable condition that undermines the security posture of identity management systems. The vulnerability specifically affects the Java Key Store configuration process where sensitive authentication information is exposed through command line arguments rather than being securely managed within the application's memory space.
The technical flaw manifests when the WebSphere Application Server component of IBM Tivoli Identity Manager 4.6 initializes its SSL/TLS cryptographic operations by passing the JKS password as a command line argument using the -Djavax.net.ssl.trustStorePassword parameter. This approach violates fundamental security principles for credential management, as command line arguments are inherently visible to processes running on the same system. The Java Virtual Machine stores these parameters in the process table, making them accessible through standard system monitoring tools, process enumeration utilities, and system introspection mechanisms that any local user with appropriate privileges can employ to extract sensitive information.
This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-256, which addresses "Plaintext Storage of a Password" and CWE-312, "Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information," while also aligning with ATT&CK technique T1552.001 for "Unsecured Credentials" and T1059.003 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell." The operational impact of this flaw extends beyond simple credential exposure, as it enables local attackers to potentially compromise the entire identity management infrastructure. An attacker who gains local access to the system can easily retrieve the trust store password and subsequently access all certificates and keys stored within the Java Key Store, potentially enabling man-in-the-middle attacks, certificate forgery, or unauthorized access to protected resources that rely on the identity management system.
The security implications of this vulnerability are particularly severe given that IBM Tivoli Identity Manager serves as a critical component in enterprise identity and access management solutions. When local users can extract the JKS password through simple process enumeration, they effectively gain access to the cryptographic keys that secure communications between identity management components and other enterprise systems. This exposure can lead to privilege escalation within the identity management domain, allowing attackers to impersonate legitimate users or systems, and potentially compromise the integrity of the entire identity infrastructure. The vulnerability also demonstrates poor security hygiene in application design, as it fails to implement proper credential obfuscation or secure storage mechanisms that would prevent such exposure.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including the replacement of command line argument-based credential passing with secure configuration management approaches such as environment variables with restricted access permissions, or the implementation of secure credential storage solutions like the Java Credentials Store API. System administrators should also conduct comprehensive process monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts and implement proper access controls to limit local system access. The remediation process should include updating to patched versions of IBM Tivoli Identity Manager, implementing proper privilege separation, and conducting security audits to ensure that no other similar credential exposure vulnerabilities exist within the enterprise infrastructure. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts to identity management systems, as the exposure of trust store passwords could enable attackers to establish persistent access to critical identity services.