CVE-2010-1487 in Lotus Notes
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Lotus Notes 7.0, 8.0, and 8.5 stores administrative credentials in cleartext in SURunAs.exe, which allows local users to obtain sensitive information by examining this file, aka SPR JSTN837SEG.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/17/2025
IBM Lotus Notes versions 7.0, 8.0, and 8.5 contain a critical security flaw in the SURunAs.exe component that stores administrative credentials in cleartext format. This vulnerability represents a fundamental failure in credential handling and secure storage practices, creating an exploitable condition that directly violates multiple security principles. The flaw occurs because the application writes administrative authentication details to a configuration file without implementing proper encryption or access controls, making these sensitive credentials immediately accessible to any local user with file system permissions. This type of vulnerability maps directly to CWE-312, which specifically addresses the exposure of sensitive information through cleartext storage, and falls under the broader category of insecure credential storage mechanisms. The security implications extend beyond simple credential theft, as these administrative credentials could provide attackers with elevated privileges and access to critical system resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, affecting organizations that deploy IBM Lotus Notes across their enterprise infrastructure. Local users who gain access to the system can trivially extract administrative credentials by simply examining the SURunAs.exe configuration file, potentially leading to complete system compromise. Attackers could leverage these credentials to perform administrative actions, modify system configurations, access restricted data, or establish persistent backdoors within the network. The vulnerability creates a direct attack surface that requires no network connectivity or external exploitation, making it particularly dangerous in environments where local privilege escalation is possible. This flaw essentially undermines the principle of least privilege and provides an easy path for attackers to escalate their access level within the system. The presence of such credentials in cleartext also violates security standards like those outlined in the NIST SP 800-53 control families related to access control and system configuration management.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations to prevent exploitation while planning for proper remediation. The most effective immediate solution involves restricting file system access to the SURunAs.exe configuration file through proper access control lists and file permissions, ensuring that only authorized administrative users can read these sensitive files. System administrators should also conduct thorough audits of file system permissions and implement monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts to these credential files. Long-term mitigation strategies must include applying the vendor-provided security patches that address the cleartext storage issue and implementing proper credential management practices such as using encrypted configuration files or centralized credential stores. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls like privilege separation, regular security assessments, and monitoring for suspicious file access patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure configuration management practices and highlights the need for regular security reviews of all system components, particularly those handling sensitive authentication data. This issue aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.001, which covers credentials in files, and emphasizes the necessity of implementing proper file-level access controls as part of comprehensive security defense strategies.