CVE-2014-6106 in Security Identity Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in IBM Security Identity Manager 5.1, 6.0, and 7.0 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of users for requests that can cause cross-site scripting attacks, web cache poisoning, or other unspecified impacts via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/13/2021
The CVE-2014-6106 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within IBM Security Identity Manager versions 5.1, 6.0, and 7.0. This vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically targets the authentication mechanisms of the identity management platform, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit user sessions without their knowledge or consent. The flaw fundamentally undermines the security model by allowing unauthorized actions to be executed on behalf of authenticated users, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where identity management systems serve as critical infrastructure components.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms within the IBM Security Identity Manager application. Attackers can craft malicious requests that appear legitimate to the application's authentication system, leveraging the trust relationship between the user's browser and the vulnerable system. This weakness enables attackers to perform actions such as modifying user permissions, creating new accounts, or executing commands that could lead to further exploitation. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple authentication bypass as it can facilitate more severe attacks including cross-site scripting exploitation and web cache poisoning operations that leverage the compromised authenticated sessions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability within enterprise security environments is substantial, as IBM Security Identity Manager serves as a cornerstone for identity and access management across organizations. When exploited, the vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to sensitive identity data, privilege escalation, and potential lateral movement within networks. The attack vectors remain unspecified in the CVE description, indicating that the vulnerability may be exploitable through multiple methods including email-based attacks, malicious websites, or compromised third-party applications that interact with the identity manager. This ambiguity in attack surface increases the risk profile significantly as defenders must account for various potential exploitation techniques.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications. The vulnerability also maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1566 for social engineering attacks and T1078 for valid accounts usage, as attackers can leverage compromised sessions to maintain persistent access. Organizations utilizing IBM Security Identity Manager should implement comprehensive mitigations including mandatory CSRF token validation, proper request origin verification, and enhanced session management controls. The recommended approach involves deploying web application firewalls, implementing robust authentication controls, and conducting regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities across the enterprise infrastructure. Additionally, organizations should establish monitoring procedures to detect anomalous authentication patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.