CVE-2014-6149 in Tivoli Application Dependency Discovery Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in BIRT-viewer in IBM Tivoli Application Dependency Discovery Manager (TADDM) 7.2.0.0 through 7.2.0.10, 7.2.1.0 through 7.2.1.6, and 7.2.2.0 through 7.2.2.2 allows remote authenticated users to read arbitrary files via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/01/2018
The vulnerability CVE-2014-6149 represents a critical directory traversal flaw within the BIRT-viewer component of IBM Tivoli Application Dependency Discovery Manager version 7.2.0.0 through 7.2.0.10, 7.2.1.0 through 7.2.1.6, and 7.2.2.0 through 7.2.2.2. This directory traversal vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing file requests. The flaw exists in the BIRT-viewer implementation which handles report generation and file access operations, creating an exploitable condition where maliciously crafted requests can bypass normal file access controls and traverse directory structures to access unauthorized files on the underlying system. The vulnerability is classified as a directory traversal attack pattern that aligns with CWE-22, which specifically addresses improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory. This weakness allows attackers to access files outside the intended directory scope, potentially exposing sensitive data, configuration files, or system resources that should remain protected.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized file access, as it provides attackers with the capability to retrieve arbitrary files from the server filesystem. This could include database connection strings, configuration files containing administrative credentials, application source code, or other sensitive information that might be stored in accessible locations within the TADDM server environment. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authenticated access, meaning that an attacker who has obtained valid credentials for the TADDM system can exploit this flaw to escalate their privileges and gain access to additional system resources. The BIRT-viewer component typically handles report generation and data visualization functions, but in this case it becomes a vector for unauthorized file system access through improper input validation and path manipulation techniques. This vulnerability demonstrates a classic security misconfiguration where file access controls are not properly enforced during report processing operations.
Attackers can leverage this vulnerability through various means including web interface manipulation, API calls, or direct HTTP request crafting that exploits the lack of proper path validation in the BIRT-viewer component. The attack surface is primarily through the web application interface where users can generate reports, and the vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate input parameters to traverse the file system hierarchy and access files that should be restricted. This weakness creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited repeatedly, as the underlying code path for file access remains unpatched. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects multiple versions of the TADDM platform, indicating a systemic issue within the BIRT-viewer implementation that was not properly addressed across the affected release series. From an attack methodology perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) and T1566 (Phishing) as attackers can use this to discover sensitive files and potentially gain additional credentials through exposed configuration data. The vulnerability also intersects with T1213 (Data from Information Repositories) as it enables unauthorized access to repository contents that should remain protected.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-6149 should focus on immediate patching of affected systems with the vendor-provided security updates, as IBM has released patches to address this specific directory traversal vulnerability. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the TADDM system and restrict the number of users with authenticated access to the BIRT-viewer functionality. Input validation controls should be enhanced to properly sanitize all user-supplied data before processing, particularly parameters related to file paths and report generation requests. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and privilege separation ensures that even if an attacker exploits this vulnerability, their access remains limited to specific system resources. System administrators should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any other potential directory traversal vulnerabilities within the TADDM environment and related applications. The remediation process should include monitoring for any suspicious file access patterns and implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify attempts to exploit this type of vulnerability. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure they can effectively respond to potential exploitation attempts of this directory traversal vulnerability, which is classified as a medium to high severity issue according to standard risk assessment methodologies and should be prioritized for immediate remediation.