CVE-2012-0731 in Rational AppScan
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Rational AppScan Enterprise 5.x and 8.x before 8.5.0.1 does not prevent service-account impersonation, which allows remote authenticated users to read arbitrary files via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/17/2018
IBM Rational AppScan Enterprise versions 5.x and 8.x prior to 8.5.0.1 contain a critical service-account impersonation vulnerability that enables remote authenticated attackers to access arbitrary files through unspecified attack vectors. This vulnerability resides within the application's authorization mechanisms and represents a significant weakness in the software's security architecture. The flaw allows authenticated users to escalate their privileges and impersonate service accounts, thereby gaining unauthorized access to sensitive system resources and data. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284 which specifically addresses improper access control, making it a direct violation of fundamental security principles. From an operational perspective, this weakness creates a severe risk exposure as it permits attackers who have already established authentication credentials to bypass normal access controls and read files they should not be authorized to access. The attack surface extends beyond simple file reading capabilities, as service account impersonation often provides access to system-level resources, configuration files, and potentially sensitive data repositories. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation through legitimate credentials. The impact of this flaw is particularly concerning given that AppScan Enterprise is designed for security testing and vulnerability assessment, meaning that an attacker could potentially access sensitive test environments, security configurations, or even exploit the tool itself to gain deeper access to target systems. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple attack paths may exist, making the vulnerability more dangerous and harder to predict. Organizations using affected versions of IBM Rational AppScan Enterprise face significant risk of data breaches and unauthorized access to critical system information. The vulnerability demonstrates poor implementation of access control mechanisms and highlights the importance of proper privilege separation within security tools. This weakness creates a dangerous situation where legitimate users with minimal privileges can potentially access sensitive system resources through service account impersonation. The lack of specific details about the attack vectors makes this vulnerability particularly challenging to defend against, as security teams cannot easily identify all possible exploitation methods. The remediation requires updating to IBM Rational AppScan Enterprise version 8.5.0.1 or later, which includes proper access control mechanisms and service account isolation. This vulnerability underscores the critical importance of maintaining current security software versions and implementing proper access control policies. The flaw represents a fundamental failure in the security design of the application's authentication and authorization subsystems, creating a pathway for privilege escalation that directly violates security best practices and industry standards. Organizations should immediately assess their deployment of affected versions and implement compensating controls while planning for the necessary software updates to address this critical access control weakness.