CVE-2015-5020 in InfoSphere BigInsights
Summary
by MITRE
The Big SQL component in IBM InfoSphere BigInsights 3.0, 3.0.0.1, 3.0.0.2, and 4.0 allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended access restrictions and truncate arbitrary tables via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/02/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5020 affects the Big SQL component within IBM InfoSphere BigInsights versions 3.0, 3.0.0.1, 3.0.0.2, and 4.0, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the security posture of enterprise data platforms. This vulnerability resides within the database access control mechanisms of BigInsights, which is designed to handle large-scale data processing and analytics workloads for enterprise organizations. The affected Big SQL component serves as the SQL interface for querying data within the BigInsights ecosystem, making it a prime target for attackers seeking unauthorized data access or manipulation.
The technical flaw manifests through unspecified vectors that allow remote authenticated users to bypass intended access restrictions and execute unauthorized table truncation operations. This represents a privilege escalation vulnerability where legitimate users with valid credentials can exploit weaknesses in the authorization framework to perform actions beyond their assigned permissions. The vulnerability specifically enables attackers to truncate arbitrary tables, which can result in complete data loss, disruption of business operations, and compromise of data integrity. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests potential weaknesses in input validation, permission checking mechanisms, or session management within the Big SQL component.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe for organizations utilizing IBM InfoSphere BigInsights, as it provides attackers with the capability to cause significant data destruction and service disruption. Table truncation operations can result in permanent loss of critical business data, potentially affecting multiple departments including finance, customer relations, and operational analytics. Organizations may experience extended downtime during recovery operations, potential regulatory compliance violations, and reputational damage from data loss incidents. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from external networks without requiring physical access to the systems, increasing the attack surface and making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in cloud or hybrid environments.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates for IBM InfoSphere BigInsights, reviewing and strengthening access controls, and implementing network segmentation to limit exposure of the affected components. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Issues, specifically related to insufficient access control mechanisms and improper privilege management. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts, as it leverages legitimate user credentials to bypass security controls, and T1485 Data Destruction, as it enables unauthorized data truncation and loss. Additional defensive measures should include monitoring for unauthorized table modification activities, implementing database activity monitoring solutions, and conducting regular security assessments of the BigInsights environment to identify and remediate similar access control weaknesses.