CVE-2016-0240 in Security Guardium Database Activity Monitor
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Security Guardium Database Activity Monitor 8.2 before p310, 9.x through 9.5 before p700, and 10.x through 10.1 before p100 does not enable the HSTS protection mechanism, which makes it easier for remote attackers to obtain sensitive information by leveraging use of HTTP.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/15/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0240 affects IBM Security Guardium Database Activity Monitor versions prior to specific patch levels, creating a significant security gap in the application's HTTP implementation. This flaw resides in the absence of HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) protection mechanisms, which represents a critical oversight in the security architecture of the database monitoring solution. The vulnerability impacts multiple major versions including 8.2 before p310, 9.x through 9.5 before p700, and 10.x through 10.1 before p100, indicating a widespread issue affecting the entire product lineage.
The technical flaw stems from the application's failure to implement HSTS headers in its HTTP responses, which should instruct web browsers to only communicate via secure HTTPS connections. Without this protection, the system operates under the assumption that HTTP connections are acceptable, creating a window of opportunity for man-in-the-middle attacks and session hijacking attempts. Attackers can exploit this weakness by intercepting network traffic and potentially capturing sensitive authentication credentials, database access information, or other confidential data transmitted through unencrypted HTTP channels. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-311, which addresses the absence of proper data protection mechanisms, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol manipulation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates a pathway for attackers to compromise the integrity of the database monitoring environment. Since Guardium is designed to monitor and protect database activities, the absence of HSTS protection undermines the security posture of the entire system, potentially allowing adversaries to gain unauthorized access to monitored database information. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects database activity monitoring tools that are typically deployed in sensitive environments where protection of database credentials and access patterns is paramount. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform session hijacking, capture authentication tokens, or intercept sensitive information transmitted during database monitoring operations.
Organizations implementing affected versions of IBM Security Guardium should prioritize immediate patching to address this vulnerability, as the remediation involves enabling the HSTS protection mechanism through proper HTTP header configuration. The recommended mitigation includes applying the appropriate security patches released by IBM, specifically targeting the mentioned version ranges, and ensuring that all HTTP responses include the appropriate HSTS headers with secure configuration parameters. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and implement additional protective measures such as enforcing HTTPS-only access through web server configurations. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing proper transport layer security mechanisms in security tools, as these applications often handle highly sensitive data and must maintain their own security integrity to prevent exploitation by adversaries who may target these systems as entry points into broader network environments.