CVE-2014-8926 in License Metric Tool
Summary
by MITRE
Common Inventory Technology (CIT) before 2.7.0.2050 in IBM License Metric Tool 7.2.2, 7.5, and 9; Endpoint Manger for Software Use Analysis 9; and Tivoli Asset Discovery for Distributed 7.2.2 and 7.5 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption or application crash) via a crafted XML query, a different vulnerability than CVE-2014-8927.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/30/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-8926 represents a critical denial of service flaw within IBM's Common Inventory Technology component, which forms part of several enterprise software solutions including the License Metric Tool and Tivoli Asset Discovery products. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 2.7.0.2050 and impacts multiple IBM products including versions 7.2.2, 7.5, and 9 of the License Metric Tool, Endpoint Manager for Software Use Analysis 9, and Tivoli Asset Discovery for Distributed 7.2.2 and 7.5. The flaw manifests when the system processes crafted XML queries that are designed to exploit weaknesses in the XML parsing and processing mechanisms within the CIT framework.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of XML query structures that trigger abnormal processing behavior within the affected IBM software components. When these maliciously crafted XML elements are submitted to the vulnerable systems, they cause the applications to consume excessive CPU resources or experience application crashes, effectively rendering the services unavailable to legitimate users. This type of attack falls under the category of resource exhaustion attacks where the attacker leverages malformed input to consume system resources beyond normal operational limits, leading to service disruption and potential system instability.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to enterprise environments that rely on IBM's license management and asset discovery solutions. Organizations using affected versions of these tools may experience unexpected service interruptions, particularly during critical license auditing or asset inventory processes. The denial of service conditions can result in extended downtime for license management systems, potentially affecting compliance reporting, software asset optimization, and overall IT operations. Additionally, the vulnerability's ability to cause application crashes introduces the risk of data loss or corruption in the affected systems, further compounding the operational impact on business-critical infrastructure.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes resource exhaustion issues, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with attack patterns found in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the service stoppage and resource exhaustion tactics. Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to IBM License Metric Tool version 2.7.0.2050 or later, which contains patches addressing this specific XML processing vulnerability. Network segmentation and input validation controls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, though the most effective mitigation remains the application of vendor-provided security updates and patches. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual CPU consumption patterns or application crash events that may indicate exploitation attempts against this vulnerability.