CVE-2016-2933 in BigFix Remote Control
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in IBM BigFix Remote Control before 9.1.3 allows remote authenticated administrators to read arbitrary files via a crafted request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/13/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-2933 represents a critical directory traversal flaw within IBM BigFix Remote Control software versions prior to 9.1.3. This security weakness specifically affects remote authenticated administrators who can exploit the vulnerability to access arbitrary files on the system. The issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data in requests processed by the remote control functionality. Directory traversal vulnerabilities of this nature typically occur when applications fail to sufficiently validate or escape user input before processing file system operations, allowing attackers to manipulate path references and gain unauthorized access to sensitive system resources.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability enables authenticated administrators to craft malicious requests that can traverse directory structures and read files outside of intended access boundaries. This flaw operates at the application layer and specifically targets the file system access controls implemented within IBM BigFix Remote Control. The vulnerability allows attackers to bypass normal access restrictions and potentially read configuration files, log files, system binaries, or other sensitive data that should remain protected from unauthorized access. The impact is particularly concerning because it affects administrative users who typically possess elevated privileges within the system, potentially enabling further escalation attacks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on IBM BigFix Remote Control for system management and remote administration tasks. The ability to read arbitrary files could expose sensitive information such as system credentials, configuration parameters, or proprietary data stored within the file system. Attackers could leverage this access to gather intelligence about the target environment, identify additional vulnerabilities, or extract data that could be used for further attacks. The vulnerability also impacts the principle of least privilege since authenticated administrators could potentially access files beyond their intended scope of operations.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to IBM BigFix Remote Control version 9.1.3 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this directory traversal vulnerability. Network segmentation and access controls should be reinforced to limit administrative access to only necessary systems and reduce the attack surface. Regular security assessments and input validation reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-22 Directory Traversal and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter, as it enables unauthorized file access through manipulated command sequences. Additionally, this weakness falls under the broader category of privilege escalation vulnerabilities that can significantly compromise system security and data integrity.