CVE-2016-2988 in Tivoli Storage Manger for Virtual Environments
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Tivoli Storage Manger for Virtual Environments: Data Protection for VMware (aka Spectrum Protect for Virtual Environments) 6.4.x before 6.4.3.4 and 7.1.x before 7.1.6 allows remote authenticated users to bypass a TSM credential requirement and obtain administrative access by leveraging multiple simultaneous logins.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/08/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-2988 affects IBM Tivoli Storage Manager for Virtual Environments, also known as Spectrum Protect for Virtual Environments, a critical data protection solution designed for VMware environments. This security flaw exists in versions 6.4.x prior to 6.4.3.4 and 7.1.x prior to 7.1.6, representing a significant weakness in the authentication and access control mechanisms of this enterprise-grade backup and recovery software. The vulnerability specifically targets the credential validation process within the system's login infrastructure, creating a pathway for unauthorized administrative access that could compromise entire virtualized environments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from a flaw in how the system handles concurrent authentication sessions. When multiple simultaneous login requests are processed, the system fails to properly validate credentials for each session, allowing authenticated users to exploit a race condition or session management weakness. This flaw operates at the application layer and leverages the legitimate authentication mechanisms of the software to bypass normal credential requirements. The vulnerability can be classified under CWE-285 (Improper Authorization) and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) as it exploits legitimate authentication paths to gain elevated privileges. The system's inability to properly enforce session isolation and credential validation creates a window where an attacker can manipulate the authentication flow to assume administrative roles.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables attackers to gain full administrative control over the backup and recovery operations within VMware environments. This administrative access provides complete control over backup policies, restore operations, data retention settings, and access to potentially sensitive backup data. The implications are particularly severe in enterprise environments where Tivoli Storage Manager is used for mission-critical data protection, as attackers could manipulate backup schedules, delete backup data, or even restore malicious files to compromise the entire virtual infrastructure. Organizations may experience data loss, regulatory compliance violations, and operational disruption when this vulnerability is exploited, as the attacker could potentially disrupt backup operations or exfiltrate sensitive information through compromised backup systems.
Organizations should immediately implement the vendor-provided patches for versions 6.4.3.4 and 7.1.6 to address this vulnerability. The mitigation strategy should include monitoring for unusual login patterns and implementing additional access controls beyond the default authentication mechanisms. Network segmentation and least-privilege access principles should be enforced to limit the potential impact of credential compromise. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive audits of backup system access logs to identify any potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper session management and credential validation in enterprise backup solutions, as highlighted in industry best practices for secure system design and implementation. Organizations relying on this software must ensure that all instances are updated to patched versions and that appropriate security monitoring is implemented to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts.