CVE-2014-3051 in Tivoli Composite Application Manager For Transactions
Summary
by MITRE
The Internet Service Monitor (ISM) agent in IBM Tivoli Composite Application Manager (ITCAM) for Transactions 7.1 and 7.2 before 7.2.0.3 IF28, 7.3 before 7.3.0.1 IF30, and 7.4 before 7.4.0.0 IF18 does not verify X.509 certificates from SSL servers, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof servers and obtain credential information via a crafted certificate.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/31/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3051 resides within the Internet Service Monitor agent of IBM Tivoli Composite Application Manager for Transactions versions 7.1 and 7.2 before 7.2.0.3 IF28, 7.3 before 7.3.0.1 IF30, and 7.4 before 7.4.0.0 IF18. This represents a critical security flaw that fundamentally undermines the integrity of SSL/TLS communications within the monitoring infrastructure. The ISM agent serves as a critical component for transaction monitoring and performance management, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it affects the core security mechanisms designed to protect sensitive transaction data and system credentials.
The technical flaw stems from the ISM agent's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL server verification processes. This certificate validation weakness creates a man-in-the-middle attack vector where malicious actors can present forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable agent. The absence of proper certificate chain validation and hostname verification allows attackers to intercept and manipulate communications between the ISM agent and SSL-enabled servers. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-295 which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for "Phishing via Service Provider" and T1071.004 for "Application Layer Protocol: DNS" in the context of credential theft through SSL/TLS interception.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to obtain sensitive credential information that could compromise entire transaction monitoring environments. Organizations using affected versions of IBM Tivoli Composite Application Manager face significant risks including unauthorized access to transaction data, potential system compromise through credential theft, and exposure of sensitive business information. The vulnerability affects the fundamental security posture of transaction monitoring systems, potentially allowing attackers to gain insights into business-critical processes and financial transactions that the monitoring system is designed to protect.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-3051 should prioritize immediate patch deployment to the affected IBM Tivoli Composite Application Manager versions, specifically targeting the cumulative fixes IF28 for 7.2, IF30 for 7.3, and IF18 for 7.4. Organizations should also implement additional network-level security controls including firewall rules to restrict communication paths between ISM agents and SSL servers, and consider implementing certificate pinning mechanisms where possible. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected software within their environments and establish monitoring for suspicious network activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process should also include verification of certificate validation settings within the ISM agent configuration to ensure proper SSL/TLS security enforcement is active.