CVE-2015-7429 in Tivoli Storage Manager for Virtual Environments
Summary
by MITRE
The Data Protection extension in the VMware GUI in IBM Tivoli Storage Manager for Virtual Environments: Data Protection for VMware (aka Spectrum Protect for Virtual Environments) 7.1 before 7.1.4 and Tivoli Storage FlashCopy Manager for VMware (aka Spectrum Protect Snapshot) 4.1 before 4.1.4 allows remote authenticated users to restore arbitrary virtual machines and consequently obtain sensitive information by visiting the vSphere inventory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/26/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7429 represents a critical authorization flaw within the VMware GUI component of IBM Tivoli Storage Manager solutions, specifically affecting versions prior to 7.1.4 and 4.1.4 respectively. This issue resides in the Data Protection extension that interfaces with VMware environments, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system's access controls. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of user permissions during virtual machine restoration operations, allowing authenticated users to bypass normal access restrictions and manipulate virtual machine states within the vSphere inventory.
The technical implementation of this flaw enables an attacker with valid credentials to leverage the legitimate restoration functionality to access and restore virtual machines they should not have permission to view or manipulate. This occurs through the manipulation of the GUI interface's internal state management, where the system fails to properly verify the requesting user's authorization level against the target virtual machine's access controls. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates within the trusted management interface of the storage solution, where users expect elevated privileges to be properly enforced. The flaw essentially allows for privilege escalation through the restoration process, where legitimate administrative functions become weaponized for unauthorized access to sensitive virtual environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass potential system compromise and data exfiltration scenarios. An attacker could restore virtual machines containing sensitive corporate data, potentially accessing confidential intellectual property, customer information, or system configurations that should remain restricted to authorized personnel only. The vulnerability affects organizations using VMware virtualization environments where the Tivoli Storage Manager solutions are deployed, creating a risk that could lead to compliance violations under various regulatory frameworks including pci dss, hipaa, and gdpr. The attack vector requires only authenticated access to the system, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by insiders or compromised accounts with legitimate access rights.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-7429 should focus on immediate patch deployment to versions 7.1.4 and 4.1.4 where the authorization checks have been properly implemented. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the Tivoli Storage Manager interfaces and establish strict access control policies that limit who can perform restoration operations. The principle of least privilege should be enforced where possible, ensuring that users have the minimum necessary permissions to perform their duties. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual restoration activities that deviate from normal operational patterns, and regular security audits should verify that access controls remain properly configured. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1005 for data from local system, highlighting the multi-layered nature of the threat. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as privileged access management solutions and comprehensive logging of all restoration activities to provide audit trails for potential security incidents.