CVE-2012-5770 in Tivoli Application Dependency Discovery Manager
Summary
by MITRE
The SSL configuration in IBM Tivoli Application Dependency Discovery Manager (TADDM) 7.2.x before 7.2.1.4 supports the MD5 hash algorithm, which makes it easier for man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof servers and decrypt network traffic via a brute-force attack.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/07/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-5770 affects IBM Tivoli Application Dependency Discovery Manager version 7.2.x prior to 7.2.1.4, specifically concerning its SSL configuration implementation. This weakness stems from the inclusion of the MD5 hash algorithm within the cryptographic suite, creating a significant security risk that undermines the integrity of secure communications. The presence of MD5 in the SSL configuration represents a critical flaw that directly violates modern cryptographic standards and best practices for secure network communication.
The technical flaw manifests in the SSL/TLS implementation where IBM Tivoli Application Dependency Discovery Manager continues to support the MD5 hash algorithm for certificate validation and session management. This cryptographic weakness enables attackers to perform brute-force attacks against the MD5-based hash functions, potentially allowing them to generate collision attacks that can compromise the authenticity of server certificates. The vulnerability creates a pathway for man-in-the-middle attacks where adversaries can intercept and decrypt network traffic between the TADDM client and server components, effectively breaking the confidentiality and integrity guarantees that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide. This weakness is particularly dangerous because MD5 has been widely demonstrated to be cryptographically broken and vulnerable to collision attacks since 2005.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple network eavesdropping to encompass complete compromise of the application dependency discovery process. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can gain unauthorized access to sensitive application topology data, service dependencies, and infrastructure mappings that TADDM collects and maintains. This information is particularly valuable in enterprise environments where application dependency mapping is used for change management, incident response, and security assessments. The vulnerability also enables attackers to impersonate legitimate TADDM services, potentially leading to unauthorized configuration changes, data manipulation, or complete service disruption. Organizations relying on TADDM for critical infrastructure monitoring face significant risks including potential data breaches, compliance violations, and operational disruptions that could affect business continuity.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-5770 require immediate implementation of security patches provided by IBM, specifically updating to TADDM version 7.2.1.4 or later, which removes support for the MD5 hash algorithm in SSL configurations. Organizations should also implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and consider disabling MD5-based cipher suites at the network infrastructure level. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-327 (Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm) and represents a clear violation of NIST SP 800-57 guidelines that recommend against using cryptographic algorithms that have been compromised or are considered weak. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access through network sniffing and man-in-the-middle attacks, specifically T1046 (Network Service Scanning) and T1566 (Phishing via Social Engineering) when combined with other attack vectors. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as certificate pinning, enhanced network segmentation, and regular cryptographic algorithm audits to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components of their infrastructure.