CVE-2009-2667 in TKLM
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in IBM Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager (TKLM) 1.0 has unknown impact and attack vectors, related to a "password security vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/20/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-2667 affects IBM Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager version 1.0, a critical component in enterprise key management systems that handles cryptographic key lifecycle operations including generation, distribution, storage, and destruction. This unspecified weakness falls under the broader category of password security vulnerabilities that can compromise the integrity of cryptographic systems. The vulnerability represents a significant concern for organizations relying on TKLM for securing their cryptographic infrastructure, as it could potentially allow unauthorized access to sensitive key material through compromised authentication mechanisms. The lack of specific details in the initial description suggests this may involve weaknesses in password handling, storage, or authentication protocols that form the foundation of the system's security model.
The technical flaw associated with this vulnerability likely resides in how TKLM manages password-based authentication for key operations or system access. Given that TKLM operates as a key management solution, the vulnerability could involve weak password policies, insecure password storage mechanisms, or flawed authentication procedures that would allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to key management functions. This type of weakness could enable adversaries to perform privilege escalation attacks or directly access cryptographic keys that should remain protected. The vulnerability's classification as a password security issue indicates that it may involve weak cryptographic hashing of passwords, predictable password generation, or insufficient entropy in password creation processes that would make brute force or dictionary attacks more effective. Such weaknesses would directly violate security best practices outlined in standards like NIST SP 800-63 for authentication and password management.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, potentially enabling comprehensive compromise of the cryptographic infrastructure managed by TKLM. An attacker exploiting this weakness could gain access to encryption keys used for protecting sensitive data, which would allow them to decrypt confidential information or impersonate legitimate system components. The vulnerability could also enable privilege escalation within the key management environment, allowing attackers to modify key attributes, create new keys, or disable security controls. Organizations using TKLM for protecting critical data assets would face significant risk of data breaches, regulatory compliance violations, and potential financial losses. The impact would be particularly severe in environments where TKLM manages keys for database encryption, file system encryption, or secure communications protocols that rely on strong key management practices.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate remediation through vendor-provided patches or updates, as well as implementing compensating controls to reduce risk exposure. Organizations should conduct comprehensive assessments of their TKLM deployments to identify all instances of the vulnerable version and prioritize remediation efforts based on risk exposure. Security teams should implement enhanced monitoring for authentication failures, unusual key access patterns, and potential credential compromise indicators. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper password policy enforcement, including requirements for strong password complexity, regular password rotation, and multi-factor authentication implementation. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security layers such as network segmentation, privileged access management solutions, and regular security audits to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. This vulnerability underscores the critical need for maintaining up-to-date cryptographic systems and following security frameworks like those defined in the CWE catalog under weakness categories related to password management and authentication mechanisms. The incident would also warrant review of the organization's overall key management strategy and adherence to industry standards such as those defined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO 27001 for information security management.