CVE-2015-2011 in QRadar SIEM
Summary
by MITRE
The xmlrpc.cgi Webmin script in IBM QRadar SIEM 7.1 MR2 before Patch 11 IF02 and 7.2.x before 7.2.5 Patch 4 allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/18/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-2011 represents a critical command execution flaw within the IBM QRadar SIEM 7.1 MR2 and 7.2.x versions, specifically affecting the xmlrpc.cgi Webmin script. This vulnerability exists in the context of IBM QRadar SIEM, a widely deployed security information and event management platform that aggregates and analyzes security events from various network sources. The flaw allows authenticated remote attackers to escalate their privileges and execute arbitrary commands with root-level access, fundamentally compromising the system's integrity and confidentiality. The vulnerability affects versions prior to specific patch releases, indicating that IBM had identified and addressed this issue through their security update process. The presence of the Webmin script component within the QRadar SIEM framework creates an additional attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to gain unauthorized access to critical system resources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and sanitization within the xmlrpc.cgi script, which processes XML-RPC requests through the Webmin interface. The flaw allows attackers who have already established authentication credentials to manipulate the script's behavior and inject malicious commands that execute with the highest system privileges. This type of vulnerability typically falls under the CWE-77 category, which encompasses command injection flaws, and represents a significant elevation of privilege vulnerability that can be exploited through network-based attacks. The attack vector requires only authentication, meaning that once an attacker gains access to valid credentials, they can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with root privileges. The underlying mechanism likely involves the script's handling of user-supplied parameters that are not properly sanitized before being passed to system execution functions.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-2011 is severe and far-reaching for organizations utilizing affected IBM QRadar SIEM versions. Successful exploitation provides attackers with complete system control, enabling them to access sensitive security data, modify system configurations, install backdoors, or establish persistent access to the network infrastructure. The vulnerability undermines the fundamental security posture of organizations relying on QRadar for threat detection and incident response, as it allows attackers to bypass the security controls that the system is designed to provide. This compromise can lead to data breaches, regulatory violations, and significant operational disruption. The vulnerability also impacts the integrity of security logs and monitoring capabilities, as attackers can manipulate or delete security event data, potentially hiding their activities from detection systems. Organizations may face compliance violations under various regulatory frameworks including pci dss, hipaa, and soc 2, as the compromise of security monitoring systems represents a critical failure in their security infrastructure.
Organizations should immediately implement the vendor-provided patches for IBM QRadar SIEM versions 7.1 MR2 through Patch 11 IF02 and 7.2.x through Patch 4 to remediate this vulnerability. The patching process should include thorough testing in non-production environments before deployment to ensure compatibility with existing configurations. Additional mitigations include implementing network segmentation to limit access to the QRadar SIEM systems, enforcing strict access controls and monitoring for unusual authentication patterns, and conducting regular security assessments of the Webmin interfaces. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of principle of least privilege implementations and regular security audits of web-based administrative interfaces. Organizations should consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious XML-RPC traffic patterns and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing privilege escalation attacks. The remediation efforts should also include reviewing and updating security policies to ensure proper credential management and access control procedures are in place to prevent unauthorized access to critical systems. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing comprehensive security monitoring across all system components, particularly those with administrative access capabilities.