CVE-2013-3047 in Maximo Asset Management
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Maximo Asset Management 7.1 before 7.1.1.12 and 7.5 before 7.5.0.5 allows remote authenticated users to gain privileges via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/11/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-3047 affects IBM Maximo Asset Management versions 7.1 before 7.1.1.12 and 7.5 before 7.5.0.5, representing a critical privilege escalation issue that enables remote authenticated attackers to elevate their access rights within the system. This flaw exists within the application's authorization mechanisms, allowing malicious users who have already established legitimate authentication credentials to exploit unspecified vectors that bypass normal access controls and potentially gain administrative or elevated privileges. The vulnerability specifically targets the privilege management subsystem where proper access control enforcement fails to adequately validate user permissions during certain operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and insufficient privilege checking within the Maximo application's security framework. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform actions that should be restricted to higher-privileged users, potentially gaining access to sensitive data, modifying critical system configurations, or executing unauthorized administrative functions. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests multiple potential pathways through which the privilege escalation can be achieved, including but not limited to parameter manipulation, session hijacking, or exploitation of insecure direct object references. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of insufficient authorization checks as classified by CWE-284, which specifically addresses improper access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized users to access resources or perform operations beyond their intended privileges.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-3047 extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it fundamentally undermines the security model of the Maximo Asset Management platform. Organizations utilizing affected versions face significant risks including data breaches, system compromise, and potential regulatory violations if sensitive asset management information becomes accessible to unauthorized personnel. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from external networks without requiring physical access to the system, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that rely on web-based access to their Maximo environments. This vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of asset management data, potentially causing operational disruptions and financial losses through unauthorized modifications to critical asset records or system configurations.
Organizations should immediately implement the vendor-provided security patches for IBM Maximo Asset Management 7.1.1.12 and 7.5.0.5 to remediate this vulnerability. The patch addresses the underlying authorization flaws by strengthening access control validation mechanisms and ensuring proper privilege enforcement during all system operations. System administrators should also conduct comprehensive security assessments of their Maximo environments to identify any potential exploitation attempts and implement additional monitoring controls. Network segmentation and access control measures should be reviewed to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities, while regular security audits should be performed to detect unauthorized access attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for Valid Accounts and T1484 for Domain Policy Modification, representing common attack patterns that leverage legitimate credentials to escalate privileges within enterprise asset management systems. Organizations should also consider implementing privileged access management solutions and regular security training for administrators to reduce the risk of successful exploitation attempts.