CVE-2015-7462 in WebSphere MQ
Summary
by MITRE
IBM WebSphere MQ 8.0.0.4 on IBM i platforms allows local users to discover cleartext certificate-keystore passwords within MQ trace output by leveraging administrator privileges to execute the mqcertck program.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/19/2019
IBM WebSphere MQ version 8.0.0.4 running on IBM i platforms contains a critical information disclosure vulnerability that enables local attackers with administrator privileges to extract cleartext certificate keystore passwords from trace output files. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the mqcertck program, which is designed for certificate verification tasks. The flaw occurs when the program generates trace information containing sensitive credential data without proper redaction or encryption mechanisms, creating a direct pathway for privilege escalation and credential theft.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the mqcertck utility's handling of certificate keystore parameters during verification operations. When executed with administrative privileges, the program writes verbose trace output to log files that contain unencrypted password values used to access certificate keystores. This behavior violates fundamental security principles outlined in CWE-200, which addresses information exposure through improper output handling. The vulnerability specifically targets the insecure logging practices that are common in enterprise messaging systems where diagnostic information is not adequately sanitized before being written to persistent storage.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations relying on IBM WebSphere MQ for message queuing and secure communications. Attackers with local administrative access can leverage this flaw to obtain cleartext passwords that may be used to access additional system resources, compromise other applications that share the same certificate store, or establish persistent access to message queues. The vulnerability's exploitation requires only local administrator privileges, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrative accounts are compromised or where insider threats exist. This weakness directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1003.006 for credential dumping and T1552.001 for unsecured credentials, as it exposes authentication material that can be used for further system compromise.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including disabling unnecessary trace logging for certificate operations, implementing proper log sanitization procedures, and restricting administrative access to only essential users. System administrators should configure the mqcertck program to operate with minimal trace levels and ensure that any diagnostic output containing sensitive information is properly redacted before being written to disk. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive audits of their certificate management practices and implement monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous access patterns to certificate keystore files. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following security best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001 controls for information security management, particularly in areas related to access control and audit logging. Regular security assessments should include verification that sensitive data is not exposed through diagnostic output mechanisms, and organizations should consider implementing automated tools to scan log files for potential credential exposure incidents.