CVE-2014-3053 in Security Access Manager For Mobile Software
Summary
by MITRE
The Local Management Interface (LMI) in IBM Security Access Manager (ISAM) for Mobile 8.0 with firmware 8.0.0.0 through 8.0.0.3 and IBM Security Access Manager for Web 7.0, and 8.0 with firmware 8.0.0.2 and 8.0.0.3, allows remote attackers to bypass authentication via a login action with invalid credentials.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/07/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3053 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw within IBM Security Access Manager implementations, specifically affecting mobile and web versions. This issue resides in the Local Management Interface component that serves as the administrative portal for configuring and managing security policies. The flaw manifests when the system fails to properly validate authentication credentials during login attempts, creating a pathway for unauthorized access to administrative functions. The vulnerability affects multiple product versions including IBM Security Access Manager for Mobile 8.0 with firmware versions 8.0.0.0 through 8.0.0.3 and IBM Security Access Manager for Web 7.0 and 8.0 with firmware 8.0.0.2 and 8.0.0.3, indicating a widespread impact across the product line.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the authentication processing logic of the LMI component. When remote attackers submit login requests with invalid credentials, the system should reject these attempts and enforce proper authentication procedures. However, the flaw allows the system to accept these invalid login actions without proper credential verification, effectively bypassing the authentication mechanism entirely. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the security architecture where the authentication subsystem fails to properly validate user credentials and maintain access control policies. The vulnerability operates at the application level and can be exploited remotely without requiring prior authentication, making it particularly dangerous as it allows attackers to gain administrative access to the security management interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential compromise of the entire security infrastructure managed by IBM Security Access Manager. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can gain full administrative privileges to configure security policies, modify access controls, and potentially gain access to protected resources within the network. This authentication bypass allows for privilege escalation and can lead to complete system compromise. The vulnerability can be exploited by remote attackers without requiring any special privileges or access to the internal network, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that expose the LMI interface to external networks. The implications include potential data breaches, unauthorized policy changes, and complete loss of control over the security management functions.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including restricting network access to the LMI interface, implementing additional authentication layers, and applying available patches from IBM. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for social engineering attacks that could leverage this flaw. Network segmentation should be implemented to limit access to the LMI interface to trusted administrative workstations only, while additional monitoring should be deployed to detect unauthorized access attempts. Regular security audits should be conducted to verify that authentication mechanisms remain properly configured and that no unauthorized modifications have been made to the security policies. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative access and establishing robust incident response procedures to address potential exploitation attempts.