CVE-2010-2896 in FileNet Content Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM FileNet Content Manager (CM) 4.0.0, 4.0.1, 4.5.0, and 4.5.1 before FP4 does not properly manage the InheritParentPermissions setting during an upgrade from 3.x, which might allow attackers to bypass intended folder permissions via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/03/2018
IBM FileNet Content Manager version 4.0.0 through 4.5.1 before fix pack 4 contains a critical permission management vulnerability that arises during upgrade processes from version 3.x. This flaw specifically affects the InheritParentPermissions setting which controls how folder permissions are inherited within the content management system. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of permission inheritance during the upgrade process, creating a security gap that could be exploited by malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to restricted content. The issue is particularly concerning because it affects the core permission model of the system, potentially allowing attackers to bypass intended access controls through unspecified attack vectors that leverage the flawed permission inheritance mechanism.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the Content Manager's upgrade routine failing to properly transfer or reset the InheritParentPermissions flag when migrating content from version 3.x to the newer versions. This misconfiguration can result in folders retaining permissions from their parent directories even when they should be operating under independent permission controls. The flaw exists in the database migration process where permission settings are not correctly normalized, leading to inconsistent permission states across the content repository. This behavior creates a privilege escalation vector where users with minimal access rights might gain access to content they should not be able to view or modify, particularly when the upgrade process fails to properly enforce the intended permission boundaries.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on IBM FileNet Content Manager for document management and access control. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access to include potential data leakage, compliance violations, and operational disruptions. Organizations may experience unauthorized access to sensitive corporate documents, intellectual property, or confidential information that should remain restricted to specific user groups or roles. The vulnerability can affect multiple business processes including document sharing, collaboration workflows, and audit trails, as the permission inheritance mechanism directly impacts how content is organized and accessed within the system. Security administrators may find it difficult to detect this vulnerability since it operates at the permission management level rather than through obvious network or application layer attacks.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability requires immediate application of IBM's fix pack 4 for IBM FileNet Content Manager 4.0 and 4.5 versions. Organizations should conduct thorough permission audits to identify any folders that may have been affected by the improper inheritance settings during the upgrade process. System administrators should review and reconfigure the InheritParentPermissions setting for all folders that were part of the upgrade from version 3.x, ensuring that proper permission boundaries are enforced. Additionally, organizations should implement monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized permission changes and establish regular compliance checks to verify that permission inheritance settings align with organizational security policies. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which addresses improper access control, and could be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and privilege escalation through permission manipulation. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of permission settings post-upgrade to ensure that the fix has properly resolved the inheritance issues and that no unauthorized access paths remain available to users or attackers.