CVE-2015-0149 in API Management
Summary
by MITRE
The developer portal in IBM API Management 3.0 before 3.0.4.1 does not properly restrict access to the public and private APIs, which allows remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive information or modify data via unspecified API calls.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-0149 affects IBM API Management version 3.0 prior to 3.0.4.1, specifically within the developer portal component. This issue represents a critical access control weakness that undermines the security posture of API management systems by allowing authenticated users to bypass intended authorization mechanisms. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access restriction controls within the portal's API endpoints, creating potential pathways for unauthorized information disclosure and data modification.
The technical flaw manifests in the developer portal's failure to properly enforce access controls for both public and private API resources. When authenticated users make unspecified API calls to the portal, they can potentially access sensitive information that should be restricted to authorized personnel only. This weakness operates at the application level and can be exploited through legitimate authenticated sessions, making it particularly dangerous as it leverages existing user credentials rather than requiring additional authentication vectors. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems, and represents a classic case of insufficient access control validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to include potential data modification capabilities that could compromise the integrity of API management systems. Attackers with valid credentials could potentially access confidential API documentation, endpoint configurations, or other sensitive metadata that would normally be restricted. The ability to modify data through these unauthorized API calls could lead to service disruption, data corruption, or unauthorized changes to API configurations that might affect downstream applications. This vulnerability directly impacts the CIA triad by compromising both confidentiality and integrity of the API management environment.
Organizations using IBM API Management 3.0 should prioritize immediate remediation through the available patch updates, specifically targeting version 3.0.4.1 or later. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive access control reviews and implementation of additional monitoring for suspicious API activity patterns. Security teams should also consider implementing network-level controls and API gateway level restrictions to provide defense-in-depth. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access, as it allows authenticated users to access resources beyond their intended permissions. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their API management environments to identify similar access control weaknesses and implement proper role-based access controls to prevent unauthorized data access and modification.