CVE-2016-8924 in Maximo Asset Management
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Maximo Asset Management 7.1, 7.5 and 7.6 could allow a remote attacker to hijack a user's session, caused by the failure to invalidate an existing session identifier. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to gain access to another user's session. IBM X-Force ID: 118537.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2020
This vulnerability affects IBM Maximo Asset Management versions 7.1, 7.5, and 7.6, representing a critical session management flaw that enables remote session hijacking attacks. The core technical issue stems from the application's failure to properly invalidate existing session identifiers when users authenticate or when session transitions occur. This design flaw creates a persistent security weakness where an attacker can exploit the lack of proper session termination mechanisms to assume the identity of legitimate users. The vulnerability specifically targets the session management component of the Maximo platform, which is responsible for maintaining user authentication state and tracking active sessions. When a user logs in or when session parameters change, the system should invalidate the previous session identifier and generate a new one, but this critical step is omitted in the affected versions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables attackers to perform actions with the privileges and permissions of the hijacked user. This could result in unauthorized modifications to asset data, access to sensitive information, and potential lateral movement within the Maximo environment. Attackers could leverage this weakness to gain persistent access to critical asset management systems that organizations rely on for industrial operations and maintenance planning. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the authentication layer, meaning that successful exploitation does not require additional credentials or complex attack vectors. The session hijacking capability directly violates fundamental security principles of authentication and authorization, as described in CWE-384, which addresses session management flaws that can lead to unauthorized access.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1566 for credential harvesting and T1078 for valid accounts usage. The attack surface is broad since Maximo is typically deployed in enterprise environments where it handles sensitive operational data and critical infrastructure information. Organizations using these affected versions face significant risk of data compromise, as the vulnerability allows attackers to impersonate legitimate users without requiring knowledge of passwords or other authentication credentials. The remote exploitation aspect means that attackers do not need physical access or network proximity to the Maximo servers, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations with distributed deployments or cloud-based implementations. Security professionals should note that this type of vulnerability often indicates broader architectural issues in session management protocols and may require comprehensive code review of authentication components.
The recommended mitigations include applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates that address the session invalidation mechanism. Organizations should also implement additional controls such as session timeout configurations, secure session cookie attributes, and monitoring for unusual authentication patterns. Network segmentation and access controls can help limit the potential impact if exploitation occurs, while regular security assessments should verify that session management is properly implemented throughout the Maximo environment. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper session lifecycle management and highlights the need for regular security updates and vulnerability assessments in enterprise asset management systems. Organizations should also consider implementing additional authentication layers such as multi-factor authentication to provide defense-in-depth against session hijacking attacks.