CVE-2016-5950 in Kenexa LCMS Premier on Cloud
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Kenexa LCMS Premier on Cloud stores user credentials in plain in clear text which can be read by an authenticated user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/09/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5950 affects IBM Kenexa LCMS Premier on Cloud, a cloud-based human resources management system that provides workforce planning and talent management capabilities. This security flaw represents a critical data exposure issue where user authentication credentials are stored without adequate encryption or obfuscation, leaving them accessible to any authenticated user within the system. The vulnerability stems from improper credential storage practices that violate fundamental security principles for protecting sensitive authentication data.
The technical implementation flaw resides in the application's credential handling mechanism where passwords and authentication tokens are persisted in plaintext format within the database or storage layer. This design decision creates an inherent risk where any user with legitimate access to the system can potentially extract and read stored credentials without additional authorization requirements. The vulnerability specifically affects the cloud deployment model of the Kenexa LCMS Premier platform, indicating that the issue is not limited to on-premises installations but extends to the managed cloud service environment.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability significantly increases the attack surface for malicious actors who gain initial access to the system through legitimate means. An authenticated user with access to the application can leverage their privileges to extract stored credentials, potentially enabling them to escalate privileges or maintain persistent access to the system. The impact extends beyond simple credential theft as these stored credentials could be used to access other systems where users have identical or similar passwords, creating cascading security risks within the organization's infrastructure. This vulnerability directly violates security best practices outlined in industry standards such as the CWE-312 weakness category, which specifically addresses the exposure of sensitive information through cleartext storage of credentials.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability include potential unauthorized access to sensitive human resources data, compromise of employee records, and possible privilege escalation attacks within the system. Organizations using this cloud-based HR management platform face significant risk of data breaches and compliance violations, particularly in regulated environments where employee data protection is mandatory. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for insider threats, where malicious employees with legitimate access can exploit their privileges to extract credentials and gain unauthorized access to other systems. Security frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK's credential access techniques are directly applicable to this vulnerability, as it enables adversaries to leverage stored credentials for further system compromise.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including mandatory credential encryption, regular security audits of credential storage mechanisms, and implementation of privileged access management controls. The recommended approach involves deploying encryption at rest for all credential storage, implementing role-based access controls to limit credential access, and establishing monitoring systems to detect unauthorized credential access attempts. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their cloud environments and ensure proper segregation of duties to prevent unauthorized credential access. Regular penetration testing and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify similar storage vulnerabilities within the broader IT infrastructure. The remediation process should include immediate credential rotation for all affected users, implementation of multi-factor authentication mechanisms, and establishment of automated monitoring for suspicious credential access patterns to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability.