CVE-2016-2944 in BigFix Remote Control
Summary
by MITRE
IBM BigFix Remote Control before 9.1.3 does not properly restrict failed login attempts, which makes it easier for remote attackers to obtain access via a brute-force approach.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/13/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-2944 affects IBM BigFix Remote Control versions prior to 9.1.3, representing a critical weakness in authentication security mechanisms. This flaw resides in the system's inability to effectively enforce login attempt restrictions, creating a significant exposure that adversaries can exploit through systematic brute-force attacks. The vulnerability directly impacts the authentication framework of the remote control solution, which is designed to provide administrative access to endpoints across enterprise networks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient rate limiting and account lockout mechanisms within the authentication subsystem. When users attempt to authenticate to the BigFix Remote Control service, the system fails to adequately track or restrict consecutive failed login attempts. This absence of proper authentication throttling allows malicious actors to systematically test numerous credential combinations without triggering protective measures that would normally prevent such automated attacks. The flaw operates at the protocol level where authentication requests are processed, making it particularly dangerous as it affects the fundamental security controls protecting remote access capabilities.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for organizations relying on BigFix Remote Control for endpoint management. Attackers can leverage the brute-force approach to compromise administrative accounts and gain unauthorized access to managed endpoints, potentially leading to full network compromise. The impact extends beyond simple credential theft as successful exploitation could enable attackers to execute arbitrary code, install malware, or establish persistent access points within the enterprise environment. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations with large endpoint footprints where BigFix Remote Control is used for remote administration and maintenance activities.
The security implications of CVE-2016-2944 align with common weakness enumerations categorized under CWE-307, which addresses improper restriction of repeated authentication attempts. This vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1110.003, which covers credential stuffing and brute force attacks. Organizations utilizing this software without proper mitigations face increased risk of successful compromise, especially when administrative credentials are weak or reused across multiple systems. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal sophistication, making it particularly attractive to threat actors seeking to establish unauthorized access to enterprise environments.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to IBM BigFix Remote Control version 9.1.3 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Additional mitigations include implementing network-level access controls to restrict access to the remote control service, enforcing strong password policies, and deploying multi-factor authentication where possible. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual authentication patterns and failed login attempts that could indicate brute-force activity. The remediation process should also include reviewing and updating access control policies to ensure that only authorized personnel have access to the remote management capabilities, thereby reducing the attack surface and limiting potential impact from successful exploitation attempts.