CVE-2014-9768 in Tivoli Netview Services
Summary
by MITRE
** DISPUTED ** IBM Tivoli NetView Access Services (NVAS) allows remote authenticated users to gain privileges by entering the ADM command and modifying a "page ID" field to the EMSPG2 transaction code. NOTE: the vendor's perspective is that configuration and use of available security controls in the NVAS product mitigates the reported vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/06/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-9768 pertains to IBM Tivoli NetView Access Services (NVAS), a network management and monitoring solution that provides access control and authentication mechanisms for network resources. This issue represents a privilege escalation vulnerability that affects the authentication and authorization processes within the NVAS framework, specifically targeting the administrative command interface. The vulnerability exists in the handling of administrative commands and transaction code execution within the system's user interface components.
The technical flaw manifests when authenticated users exploit a weakness in the ADM command processing mechanism within NVAS. By manipulating the "page ID" field during the EMSPG2 transaction code execution, attackers can effectively bypass normal access controls and escalate their privileges within the system. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of improper privilege management and weak input validation, with potential implications for CWE-264 (Permissions, Privileges, and Access Controls) and CWE-250 (Execute Code or Commands) as outlined in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of insufficient authorization checks where the system fails to properly validate the legitimacy of administrative commands based on the user's assigned permissions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it could potentially allow attackers with minimal administrative access to gain full system control over network monitoring and management functions. This compromise could enable unauthorized users to modify network configurations, access sensitive monitoring data, or disrupt network management operations. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the system, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where network management systems are frequently accessed over network connections. The attack vector involves legitimate administrative commands being misused through input manipulation, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 (Local Privilege Escalation) and T1566 (Phishing for Information) when considering how attackers might gain initial authenticated access.
IBM's vendor perspective on this vulnerability indicates that existing security controls within NVAS are sufficient to mitigate the reported issue, suggesting that proper configuration and implementation of available security features can prevent exploitation. However, this assessment raises concerns about the default security posture of the system and the potential for misconfiguration in production environments. Organizations implementing NVAS should verify that security controls are properly configured and that administrative access is restricted to authorized personnel only. The vulnerability highlights the importance of defense in depth strategies where multiple security controls work together to prevent exploitation, rather than relying on a single mechanism for access control. Security professionals should consider implementing additional monitoring of administrative commands and transaction code execution to detect potential exploitation attempts. The situation also underscores the need for comprehensive security testing and validation of administrative interfaces, particularly in systems that handle critical network management functions. Proper security configuration management and regular security assessments should be implemented to ensure that the security controls mentioned by IBM are properly deployed and functioning as intended.