CVE-2017-1257 in Security Guardium
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Security Guardium 10.0 discloses sensitive information to unauthorized users. The information can be used to mount further attacks on the system. IBM X-Force ID: 124684.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/27/2021
IBM Security Guardium version 10.0 contains a sensitive data exposure vulnerability that allows unauthorized users to access confidential information through improperly protected API endpoints. This vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls and authentication mechanisms within the system's web services interface, where sensitive data such as database credentials, system configurations, and user information may be retrieved without proper authorization. The flaw exists in the application's RESTful API handlers that fail to validate user permissions before returning sensitive response data, creating an information disclosure scenario that directly violates security best practices.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the system's failure to enforce proper authentication checks on multiple API endpoints that should only be accessible to authorized administrators or system users. Attackers can exploit this weakness by sending crafted requests to specific URI paths within the Guardium interface, potentially gaining access to database connection strings, encryption keys, user account details, and other privileged information. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which specifically addresses "Information Exposure" and represents a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege. The vulnerability creates a pathway for attackers to escalate their privileges and move laterally within the network infrastructure, as the leaked information can be used to target other systems or services that share similar credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the exposed data can enable more sophisticated attack vectors including credential stuffing, privilege escalation, and targeted social engineering campaigns. Organizations using IBM Security Guardium 10.0 may find their database security monitoring capabilities compromised, as attackers could potentially manipulate the system's configuration or disable security features. The vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where Guardium is deployed to monitor and protect critical database assets, making it an attractive target for both external attackers seeking to access sensitive data and internal threat actors attempting to subvert security controls. This weakness directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1083, Information Discovery, and T1566, Phishing, as the leaked information can be used to craft more convincing social engineering attacks.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including strengthening authentication mechanisms, implementing proper access control lists, and ensuring that all API endpoints validate user permissions before returning sensitive data. The recommended approach involves deploying network segmentation to isolate the Guardium system, implementing robust API gateway controls with rate limiting and request validation, and conducting comprehensive security audits of all exposed interfaces. IBM has released patches and updates to address this vulnerability, and organizations should prioritize applying these fixes while also implementing additional monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include disabling unnecessary API endpoints, enforcing multi-factor authentication for administrative access, and establishing continuous security monitoring to detect unauthorized access patterns. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to ensure that similar vulnerabilities are not present in other system components, as this represents a critical weakness that could be leveraged for broader system compromise.