CVE-2013-5424 in Flex System Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Flex System Manager (FSM) 1.3.0 allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions, and create new user accounts or execute tasks, by leveraging an expired password for the system-level account.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/27/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-5424 affects IBM Flex System Manager version 1.3.0, representing a critical access control flaw that enables remote attackers to circumvent security measures through improper session management. This weakness resides in the authentication mechanism of the system-level account, specifically exploiting the handling of expired credentials to gain unauthorized access. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental failure in the authentication flow where the system does not properly validate account status or password expiration conditions before granting access privileges.
The technical flaw manifests through the improper validation of expired passwords within the IBM Flex System Manager's authentication framework. When a system-level account password expires, the system should enforce strict access controls and prevent any unauthorized operations. However, this vulnerability allows attackers to leverage the expired credential state to bypass intended access restrictions, effectively creating a backdoor for privilege escalation. The flaw operates at the authentication layer and can be exploited remotely without requiring physical access or prior authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments where the system is accessible over the internet or internal networks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables attackers to perform elevated operations within the managed environment. Remote attackers can create new user accounts with administrative privileges, execute arbitrary tasks, and potentially establish persistent access to the system. This capability directly violates the principle of least privilege and undermines the integrity of the system's security model. The vulnerability affects the entire IBM Flex System Manager ecosystem, potentially compromising multiple managed systems and devices that rely on this management platform for configuration and monitoring.
Security practitioners should recognize this vulnerability as a variant of improper authentication handling, which aligns with CWE-287, improper authentication, and may also map to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential access. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that IBM Flex System Manager typically operates in enterprise environments where it manages critical infrastructure components. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches, enforcing strong password policies with regular rotation, and implementing additional monitoring for unauthorized account creation or suspicious administrative activities. Network segmentation and access control measures should be reinforced to limit exposure of the management interface to trusted networks only.
The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper session management and credential validation in enterprise management systems. IBM Flex System Manager's authentication mechanism failed to properly handle expired credentials, creating an unintended access path that could be exploited by attackers with minimal resources. This flaw demonstrates the need for comprehensive security testing of authentication flows, particularly in systems where administrative access is critical. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their management infrastructure to identify similar vulnerabilities in other systems and ensure proper credential lifecycle management practices are implemented across all enterprise platforms.