CVE-2010-3061 in Tivoli Storage Manager Fastback
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the message-protocol implementation in the Mount service in IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) FastBack 5.x.x before 5.5.7, and 6.1.0.0, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (recovery failure), and possibly trigger loss of data, via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/19/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-3061 represents a critical weakness in IBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack's Mount service message-protocol implementation. This issue affects versions 5.x.x prior to 5.5.7 and 6.1.0.0, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on this data protection software. The vulnerability falls under the category of unspecified flaws that can lead to severe operational consequences including denial of service conditions and potential data loss scenarios. The affected component operates within the storage management infrastructure, making it particularly dangerous as it can disrupt critical backup and recovery operations that organizations depend upon for business continuity.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from weaknesses in how the Mount service handles message protocols during storage operations. While the exact implementation details remain unspecified, the flaw manifests in the communication handling between storage components and the FastBack service. This type of vulnerability typically arises from insufficient input validation, improper error handling, or buffer management issues within the protocol implementation. The attack vectors are not explicitly defined, which suggests that multiple pathways could potentially exploit this weakness, making it particularly challenging to defend against and remediate. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-119, which addresses weaknesses in memory management, and CWE-20, concerning input validation issues that can lead to various security consequences including denial of service conditions.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-3061 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise entire data recovery processes within affected organizations. When exploited, the vulnerability can cause the Mount service to fail during critical recovery operations, leaving backup systems inoperable and potentially resulting in data loss if recovery procedures cannot be executed successfully. This scenario directly impacts business continuity and disaster recovery planning, as organizations may find their backup infrastructure compromised during critical moments when data protection is most needed. The vulnerability's potential to cause both denial of service and data loss creates a dual threat that can significantly impact organizational operations and customer confidence in the reliability of storage management services. The implications are particularly severe in enterprise environments where Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack is used for mission-critical data protection and recovery operations.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through the application of available patches from IBM, as the vulnerability affects versions that are no longer supported with current security updates. The recommended mitigation strategy includes upgrading to IBM Tivoli Storage Manager FastBack version 5.5.7 or later, or 6.1.0.0 and beyond, which contain the necessary fixes for the message-protocol implementation flaws. System administrators should also implement network segmentation to limit access to FastBack services and monitor for unusual activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability could be leveraged as part of a broader attack chain targeting storage infrastructure, potentially enabling adversaries to escalate privileges or gain access to sensitive data through compromised backup systems. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to ensure that all components of the storage management infrastructure remain protected against similar vulnerabilities that may arise from insufficient protocol implementation security measures.