CVE-2017-1162 in QRadar
Summary
by MITRE
IBM QRadar 7.2 and 7.3 discloses sensitive information to unauthorized users. The information can be used to mount further attacks on the system. IBM X-Force ID: 122957.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/11/2021
IBM QRadar versions 7.2 and 7.3 contain a sensitive data exposure vulnerability that allows unauthorized users to access confidential system information through improperly protected API endpoints. This vulnerability falls under CWE-200, which specifically addresses information exposure, and represents a critical weakness in the application's access control mechanisms. The flaw enables attackers to retrieve sensitive data that should be restricted to authorized personnel only, potentially including system configurations, user credentials, or operational details that could facilitate subsequent exploitation attempts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate authentication and authorization checks within the QRadar platform's web services layer. When users make requests to certain API endpoints without proper authentication tokens or session validation, the system continues to process these requests and return sensitive information. This misconfiguration creates an information disclosure pathway that directly violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and access control enforcement. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because QRadar serves as a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platform where sensitive operational data flows through the system, making it an attractive target for adversaries seeking to understand the environment's structure and operational details.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the leaked data can be leveraged to conduct more sophisticated attacks against the affected system. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can obtain detailed system information including user roles, system configurations, and potentially credential information that could be used for privilege escalation or lateral movement within the network. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1087.001, which covers account discovery through API calls, and T1005, which involves data from local system storage. The exposure of sensitive operational data from QRadar can significantly compromise the overall security posture of organizations relying on this platform for threat detection and response.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including patching to the latest available versions of QRadar that address this vulnerability, enforcing strict access controls on API endpoints, and implementing network segmentation to limit access to sensitive components. Additionally, security teams should conduct thorough audits of all API endpoints to identify and remediate similar access control weaknesses. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and authentication checking in web applications, particularly those handling sensitive security data. Organizations should also implement monitoring and alerting mechanisms to detect unauthorized access attempts to sensitive system information, as the disclosure of such data can serve as a precursor to more serious security incidents. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar access control vulnerabilities across the entire infrastructure.