CVE-2016-0365 in UrbanCode Deploy
Summary
by MITRE
IBM UrbanCode Deploy 6.0.x before 6.0.1.13, 6.1.x before 6.1.3.3, and 6.2.x before 6.2.1.1, when agent-relay Codestation artifact caching is enabled, allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and obtain sensitive artifact information via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/15/2019
IBM UrbanCode Deploy versions 6.0.x before 6.0.1.13, 6.1.x before 6.1.3.3, and 6.2.x before 6.2.1.1 contain a critical authentication bypass vulnerability that affects the agent-relay Codestation artifact caching functionality. This vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls within the artifact caching mechanism, allowing remote attackers to bypass the authentication system and gain unauthorized access to sensitive deployment artifacts. The flaw specifically impacts systems where the agent-relay Codestation feature is enabled, creating a pathway for malicious actors to obtain confidential information about application deployments and infrastructure configurations. The vulnerability represents a significant security weakness that undermines the integrity of the deployment process and exposes organizations to potential data breaches and unauthorized system access. The unspecified vectors suggest that attackers can exploit this weakness through various attack surfaces, potentially including network-based attacks that do not require prior authentication credentials. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues in software systems, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for spearphishing campaigns that could leverage this weakness. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure, as attackers could potentially manipulate deployment artifacts, leading to service disruption, unauthorized code execution, or compromise of downstream systems that depend on these artifacts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the agent-relay Codestation caching functionality, which is designed to improve deployment performance by storing frequently accessed artifacts. However, the authentication mechanisms protecting this cache are insufficiently implemented, allowing unauthenticated requests to access cached artifacts that should be restricted to authorized users only. This weakness creates a persistent security gap that remains active as long as the affected versions are in use, particularly in environments where the caching feature is enabled. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to obtain sensitive information including application binaries, configuration files, deployment scripts, and other artifacts that contain proprietary or confidential data. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not need physical access to the system or network proximity to exploit the flaw, making it particularly dangerous in cloud-based or distributed deployment environments. Organizations utilizing IBM UrbanCode Deploy in production environments face significant risk of unauthorized access to their deployment pipelines and associated intellectual property. The vulnerability's classification as an authentication bypass aligns with the ATT&CK framework's focus on credential access and privilege escalation techniques, potentially enabling attackers to move laterally within the deployment infrastructure. Security teams must understand that this vulnerability can be exploited in conjunction with other attack vectors, creating a more comprehensive compromise of the deployment environment. The affected versions represent a broad range of releases, indicating that this was likely a widespread issue affecting many organizations using IBM UrbanCode Deploy for their continuous delivery processes.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigation strategies to protect their deployment environments. The primary recommendation involves upgrading to the patched versions of IBM UrbanCode Deploy, specifically versions 6.0.1.13, 6.1.3.3, and 6.2.1.1, which contain the necessary security fixes to address the authentication bypass issue. System administrators should also consider disabling the agent-relay Codestation artifact caching functionality if it is not essential for operations, as this provides an additional layer of protection until the upgrade can be completed. Network segmentation and access controls should be reviewed to limit access to the UrbanCode Deploy servers and their associated caching mechanisms. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual access patterns to artifact repositories and cache directories. Organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected versions of the software and prioritize remediation efforts accordingly. The vulnerability's impact on deployment security makes it essential for organizations to implement comprehensive monitoring and incident response procedures. Additionally, security teams should review their deployment pipeline configurations to ensure that no unauthorized access points exist within the caching infrastructure. Regular security audits of deployment tools and processes should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities that could compromise the integrity of the software delivery lifecycle. The remediation process should include verification that the patch has been successfully applied and that authentication mechanisms are properly enforcing access controls. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as encryption of cached artifacts and regular security scanning of deployment environments to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in the future.