CVE-2013-3017 in Tivoli Application Dependency Discovery Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Tivoli Application Dependency Discovery Manager (TADDM) before 7.2.1.5 and 7.2.x before 7.2.2 make it easier for remote attackers to defeat cryptographic protection mechanisms by leveraging support for weak SSL ciphers. IBM X-Force ID: 84353.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/05/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-3017 affects IBM Tivoli Application Dependency Discovery Manager (TADDM) versions prior to 7.2.1.5 and 7.2.x versions before 7.2.2. This security flaw resides in the cryptographic protection mechanisms of the application, specifically related to its handling of Secure Sockets Layer protocols. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to exploit weak SSL cipher support, undermining the intended security posture of the system. The issue stems from the application's failure to properly enforce strong cryptographic standards during secure communication sessions, creating opportunities for man-in-the-middle attacks and data interception.
The technical flaw manifests through the application's support for weak SSL ciphers that are vulnerable to various cryptographic attacks including those targeting the logjam vulnerability and other cipher suite weaknesses. This weakness enables attackers to downgrade secure connections to less secure cipher suites, effectively bypassing the intended encryption protections. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-327, which addresses the use of weak cryptographic algorithms, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through phishing and T1046 for network service scanning that can lead to exploitation of weak cryptographic implementations. The flaw represents a critical weakness in the security configuration management of the TADDM application's communication protocols.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it compromises the integrity of the application dependency discovery process. Attackers can exploit this weakness to intercept and potentially modify communication between TADDM components, potentially leading to false dependency mappings, corrupted discovery data, and unauthorized access to sensitive system information. The vulnerability affects the overall security posture of enterprise environments that rely on TADDM for application dependency mapping and infrastructure inventory management, as compromised communications can lead to incorrect security assessments and vulnerability management decisions. Organizations using affected versions face risks including unauthorized access to application dependency information, potential data exfiltration, and disruption of legitimate discovery processes that are critical for IT operations and security management.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-3017 primarily involve upgrading to IBM Tivoli Application Dependency Discovery Manager versions 7.2.1.5 or 7.2.2 and later, which address the weak SSL cipher support issue. Organizations should also implement strict SSL/TLS configuration policies that disable weak cipher suites and enforce the use of strong cryptographic protocols including TLS 1.2 or higher. Network administrators should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any remaining weak cipher support within the TADDM environment and related systems. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that the upgrade does not disrupt existing discovery operations while maintaining the required security controls. Additionally, organizations should implement network monitoring to detect any attempts to establish connections using weak cipher suites and establish incident response procedures to address potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing proper cryptographic configuration management as outlined in industry standards such as NIST SP 800-52 and ISO/IEC 27001 requirements for secure communication protocols.