CVE-2010-3491 in ActiveMatrix BusinessWorks Service Engine
Summary
by MITRE
The (1) ActiveMatrix Runtime and (2) ActiveMatrix Administrator components in TIBCO ActiveMatrix Service Grid before 2.3.1, ActiveMatrix Service Bus before 2.3.1, ActiveMatrix BusinessWorks Service Engine before 5.8.1, and ActiveMatrix Service Performance Manager before 1.3.2 do not properly handle JMX connections, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code, obtain sensitive information, or cause a denial of service via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/05/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-3491 affects multiple components within the TIBCO ActiveMatrix product suite including the ActiveMatrix Runtime, ActiveMatrix Administrator, ActiveMatrix Service Grid, ActiveMatrix Service Bus, ActiveMatrix BusinessWorks Service Engine, and ActiveMatrix Service Performance Manager. This weakness stems from improper handling of JMX (Java Management Extensions) connections within these enterprise integration platforms, creating a critical security gap that adversaries can exploit remotely. The affected versions lack proper authentication and authorization mechanisms for JMX connections, allowing unauthorized access to management interfaces that typically provide deep system control and monitoring capabilities. This vulnerability represents a significant risk to enterprise environments where these products are deployed, as JMX connections often expose sensitive operational data and provide interfaces for executing system commands.
The technical flaw manifests in the insufficient validation and protection of JMX endpoints that are typically used for monitoring and managing Java applications. When JMX connections are improperly configured or secured, attackers can establish unauthorized connections to these management interfaces without proper credentials. This weakness enables exploitation through various attack vectors that may include sending malicious JMX requests, exploiting default configurations, or leveraging weak authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple information disclosure to include arbitrary code execution capabilities, allowing attackers to run malicious code on the target systems. Additionally, the flaw can be leveraged to cause denial of service conditions by overwhelming or corrupting JMX connection handling mechanisms, effectively disrupting critical business processes that depend on these integration platforms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe for organizations relying on TIBCO ActiveMatrix products, as it provides attackers with elevated privileges and access to critical system management functions. Remote code execution capabilities mean that attackers can potentially take complete control of affected systems, install backdoors, modify business processes, or exfiltrate sensitive data. The vulnerability affects enterprise integration environments where these products are commonly deployed, making it particularly dangerous for financial services, healthcare, and other regulated industries that depend on robust integration platforms. Organizations may experience service disruption, data breaches, and compliance violations when these systems are compromised, as the vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate the underlying integration infrastructure that connects critical business applications.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of the affected TIBCO ActiveMatrix components, specifically versions 2.3.1 or later for Service Grid, 2.3.1 or later for Service Bus, 5.8.1 or later for BusinessWorks Service Engine, and 1.3.2 or later for Service Performance Manager. Network segmentation should be implemented to restrict access to JMX endpoints, and firewall rules should be configured to limit exposure of JMX ports to trusted networks only. Additionally, organizations should enforce strong authentication mechanisms for JMX connections, disable unnecessary JMX interfaces, and implement monitoring solutions to detect anomalous JMX activity. These remediation steps align with industry best practices for securing Java application management interfaces and address the underlying CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and CWE-770 (Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling) weaknesses that contribute to this vulnerability. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation and defense evasion technique, where adversaries leverage management interface weaknesses to maintain persistent access and avoid detection within enterprise environments.