CVE-2013-4016 in Tivoli Service Request Manager
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in IBM Maximo Asset Management 7.x before 7.1.1.7 LAFIX.20140319-0837, 7.1.1.11 before IFIX.20140323-0749, 7.1.1.12 before IFIX.20140321-1336, 7.5.x before 7.5.0.3 IFIX027, 7.5.0.4 before IFIX011, and 7.5.0.5 before IFIX006; SmartCloud Control Desk 7.x before 7.5.0.3 and 7.5.1.x before 7.5.1.2; and Tivoli IT Asset Management for IT, Tivoli Service Request Manager, Maximo Service Desk, and Change and Configuration Management Database (CCMDB) 7.x before 7.1.1.7 LAFIX.20140319-0837, 7.1.1.11 before IFIX.20140207-1801, and 7.1.1.12 before IFIX.20140218-1510 allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary SQL commands via a Birt report with a WHERE clause in plain text.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/04/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2013-4016 represents a critical SQL injection flaw affecting multiple IBM Maximo and SmartCloud products, specifically targeting versions prior to their respective security patches. This vulnerability exists within the Business Intelligence Reporting Tools (BIRT) reporting functionality where user-supplied input containing WHERE clauses in plain text is not properly sanitized or parameterized before being incorporated into SQL queries. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms that allow malicious actors to inject arbitrary SQL commands through crafted report parameters, potentially compromising the entire database backend.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when authenticated users with appropriate privileges submit specially crafted BIRT reports containing malicious SQL injection payloads within WHERE clause parameters. The system processes these inputs directly into database queries without proper parameterization or input filtering, creating a pathway for attackers to execute unauthorized database operations. This flaw specifically affects the report generation engine where user input is concatenated into SQL statements rather than being properly bound as parameters, violating fundamental security principles for preventing SQL injection attacks. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-89 as SQL injection, with the specific operational impact being that attackers can manipulate database queries to extract, modify, or delete sensitive data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to include complete database compromise and potential system escalation. Remote authenticated attackers can leverage this weakness to perform unauthorized data access, modify critical business information, or even execute administrative database commands that could lead to system-wide disruption. The affected products include enterprise asset management systems, service desk solutions, and IT asset management platforms that typically contain sensitive business data, user credentials, and operational information. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on IBM Maximo for asset management, as the compromised systems may contain confidential operational data, financial records, and business-critical information that could be exploited for financial gain or competitive advantage.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided IFIX patches and security updates for all affected versions of IBM Maximo Asset Management, SmartCloud Control Desk, and related products. The security controls should include input validation mechanisms that sanitize all user-supplied parameters before they are processed by the BIRT reporting engine, implementing proper parameterized queries instead of string concatenation, and establishing network segmentation to limit access to database systems. Additionally, organizations should review and restrict user permissions within the affected systems to minimize the impact of potential exploitation, implement database activity monitoring, and conduct regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other enterprise applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1071.004 Application Layer Protocol: DNS and T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application, as it involves exploiting a publicly accessible application layer vulnerability to gain unauthorized database access through SQL injection techniques.