CVE-2016-0327 in Security Identity Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Security Identity Manager (ISIM) Virtual Appliance 7.0.0.0 through 7.0.1.0 before 7.0.1-ISS-SIM-FP0001 allows local users to gain administrator privileges via unspecified vectors. IBM X-Force ID: 111643.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/30/2021
IBM Security Identity Manager Virtual Appliance contains a local privilege escalation vulnerability that affects versions 7.0.0.0 through 7.0.1.0 before the 7.0.1-ISS-SIM-FP0001 patch release. This vulnerability enables local attackers to escalate their privileges to administrator level access within the appliance environment. The unspecified vectors suggest that the flaw may involve improper access controls, insecure privilege management mechanisms, or flawed authentication processes within the ISIM appliance. The vulnerability represents a critical security weakness in the appliance's privilege model, potentially allowing unauthorized local users to execute administrative commands and access sensitive system resources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability likely involves a weakness in the appliance's user privilege management system where local accounts can exploit insufficient validation or authorization checks. Attackers could potentially leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, access confidential data, modify system configurations, or establish persistent access to the appliance. The vulnerability may involve privilege escalation through improper handling of system calls, insecure file permissions, or flawed privilege separation mechanisms within the ISIM application stack. This weakness directly impacts the appliance's security posture and could compromise the integrity and confidentiality of identity management services.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, potentially exposing organizations to significant security risks. Local attackers with basic user accounts could gain full administrative control over the ISIM appliance, enabling them to manipulate identity data, modify access controls, and potentially compromise the entire identity management infrastructure. This vulnerability could facilitate lateral movement within networks where ISIM appliances are deployed, as attackers might use the elevated privileges to access other connected systems or services. The impact is particularly severe given that ISIM appliances typically manage critical identity and access control functions within enterprise environments.
Organizations should immediately apply the 7.0.1-ISS-SIM-FP0001 patch release from IBM to remediate this vulnerability. System administrators should also conduct comprehensive security assessments of ISIM appliance deployments to identify any potential exploitation attempts. Additional mitigations include implementing strict access controls, monitoring system logs for unauthorized privilege escalation attempts, and ensuring that only authorized personnel have local access to the appliances. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which addresses improper privileges, and may map to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and persistence mechanisms. Regular security monitoring and vulnerability management processes should be enhanced to detect similar weaknesses in other identity management systems within the enterprise environment.