CVE-2017-1200 in BigFix Compliance
Summary
by MITRE
IBM BigFix Compliance 1.7 through 1.9.91 (TEMA SUAv1 SCA SCM) does not validate, or incorrectly validates, a certificate.This weakness might allow an attacker to spoof a trusted entity by using a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack. The software might connect to a malicious host while believing it is a trusted host, or the software might be deceived into accepting spoofed data that appears to originate from a trusted host. IBM X-Force ID: 123675.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/06/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-1200 affects IBM BigFix Compliance versions 1.7 through 1.9.91, specifically within the TEMA SUAv1 SCA SCM components. This represents a critical certificate validation weakness that fundamentally undermines the security assurances provided by the software's authentication mechanisms. The flaw resides in the certificate validation process where the system either fails to validate certificates properly or implements incorrect validation logic, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise the integrity of communications. This vulnerability directly impacts the software's ability to establish trust relationships with legitimate entities while simultaneously enabling malicious actors to establish false trust relationships.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate certificate validation procedures that allow for man-in-the-middle attacks to succeed. When the software attempts to establish secure connections with trusted hosts, the flawed validation process permits malicious actors to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable system. This weakness operates at the core of the software's cryptographic security framework, where certificate chain validation, hostname verification, and trust anchor validation mechanisms are either absent or improperly implemented. The vulnerability manifests when the system connects to malicious hosts while maintaining the illusion of communicating with trusted entities, or when it accepts spoofed data that originates from what it believes to be a legitimate source. This behavior directly violates fundamental security principles of authentication and non-repudiation that are essential for secure communication protocols.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity and authenticity guarantees that organizations rely upon when implementing compliance monitoring solutions. Attackers exploiting this weakness can potentially manipulate compliance data, inject malicious content into the monitoring system, or redirect communications to malicious endpoints while maintaining the appearance of legitimate operations. The implications are particularly severe in compliance environments where the integrity of monitoring data is paramount for regulatory adherence and security auditing processes. Organizations may experience false security alerts, legitimate security events being masked by malicious activity, or complete compromise of the compliance monitoring infrastructure. This vulnerability essentially undermines the trust model that the BigFix Compliance solution is designed to maintain, potentially leading to undetected security breaches and regulatory violations.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations that address the root cause of the certificate validation weakness through comprehensive security updates provided by IBM. The recommended approach includes applying the latest security patches and updates from IBM that specifically address the certificate validation flaws within the affected versions. Additionally, network-level mitigations such as implementing strict certificate pinning policies, deploying network segmentation controls, and enhancing monitoring of outbound connections can help reduce the attack surface. Security teams should also consider implementing additional verification mechanisms such as manual certificate verification procedures for critical systems, enhanced network traffic analysis to detect anomalous communication patterns, and regular security assessments to identify potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295 which specifically addresses improper certificate validation and relates to ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol tunneling, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security controls that address both the technical weakness and operational security considerations.