CVE-2016-0374 in TRIRIGA Application Platform
Summary
by MITRE
The builder tools in IBM TRIRIGA Application Platform 3.3 before 3.3.2.6, 3.4 before 3.4.2.4, and 3.5 before 3.5.0.2 allow remote authenticated users to gain privileges for application modification via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/15/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0374 affects IBM TRIRIGA Application Platform versions prior to specific patch levels, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw within the platform's builder tools. This vulnerability resides in the authentication and authorization mechanisms that govern access to application modification capabilities, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on this enterprise platform for business operations management. The issue manifests through unspecified vectors that allow authenticated users to elevate their privileges and perform actions beyond their intended permissions, potentially enabling unauthorized modifications to critical business applications.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-269, which addresses improper privileges assigned to security-relevant functions, and may also relate to CWE-798, concerning the use of hard-coded credentials or improper access control mechanisms. The builder tools in question likely implement a role-based access control system that fails to properly validate user permissions during application modification processes. Attackers who have already established legitimate authentication credentials can exploit this weakness to bypass normal access restrictions and gain elevated privileges that should be restricted to administrative users only. This flaw essentially undermines the platform's security model by allowing lateral movement within the permission hierarchy.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses substantial risks to enterprise environments where TRIRIGA Application Platform is deployed. Organizations using this software for critical business operations such as facilities management, enterprise asset management, or business analytics could face severe consequences if attackers exploit this privilege escalation capability. The ability to modify applications without proper authorization could lead to data integrity compromises, unauthorized access to sensitive business information, or even complete system compromise depending on the scope of privileges that can be gained. The vulnerability affects multiple major versions of the platform, indicating a widespread impact across different deployment scenarios and organizational structures.
The attack vector for this vulnerability requires an authenticated user, which means that adversaries must first obtain legitimate credentials or exploit another vulnerability to gain initial access. Once authenticated, the attacker can leverage this privilege escalation flaw to perform unauthorized modifications to the application platform itself, potentially affecting core business processes or introducing backdoors. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper access control validation and the principle of least privilege enforcement within enterprise applications. The affected versions suggest that IBM recognized the severity of this issue and implemented fixes in subsequent patch releases, emphasizing the need for timely security updates in enterprise environments.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches for IBM TRIRIGA Application Platform versions 3.3.2.6, 3.4.2.4, and 3.5.0.2, while also conducting thorough security assessments of their existing deployments. Network segmentation and monitoring of authentication activities can help detect potential exploitation attempts, and regular security audits should verify that access controls are properly enforced. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following security best practices such as the principle of least privilege, regular security assessments, and maintaining up-to-date security patches as outlined in various cybersecurity frameworks and standards including those referenced in the ATT&CK framework for privilege escalation techniques.