CVE-2017-1265 in Security Guardium
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Security Guardium 10.0, 10.0.1, 10.1, 10.1.2, 10.1.3, 10.1.4, and 10.5 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) techniques. IBM X-Force ID: 124740.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/19/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-1265 affects IBM Security Guardium versions 10.0 through 10.5, representing a critical flaw in the certificate validation mechanism that undermines the security posture of the system. This weakness manifests as either complete absence of certificate validation or improper validation procedures that fail to properly authenticate entities within the network. The vulnerability stems from inadequate implementation of TLS/SSL certificate verification processes, which are fundamental to establishing secure communications between Guardium components and other networked systems. Organizations relying on Guardium for database security monitoring and compliance enforcement face significant risks when this vulnerability remains unaddressed.
The technical flaw in CVE-2017-1265 corresponds to CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in secure communications. This weakness allows attackers to exploit the system's failure to properly validate digital certificates through man-in-the-middle attack vectors, where malicious actors can intercept and manipulate communications between Guardium appliances and their connected databases or management interfaces. The improper certificate validation creates a trust relationship that can be easily subverted, enabling attackers to present fake certificates that appear legitimate to the Guardium system. This vulnerability directly impacts the authentication and integrity mechanisms that Guardium relies upon to protect sensitive database information and maintain compliance with security policies.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple communication interference, as it fundamentally compromises the security architecture of Guardium deployments. Attackers exploiting this weakness can establish unauthorized access points within the database security infrastructure, potentially gaining visibility into protected database activities and bypassing Guardium's monitoring capabilities. The vulnerability affects the system's ability to maintain secure connections with database servers, management consoles, and other Guardium components, creating potential data exfiltration pathways and enabling attackers to manipulate security events and alerts. Organizations may experience false negatives in security monitoring, where malicious activities go undetected due to the compromised trust relationships, while also facing potential compliance violations as audit trails become compromised.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-1265 should focus on immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms and comprehensive security updates from IBM. Organizations must ensure that all Guardium appliances are updated to versions that address this certificate validation weakness, while also implementing additional network security controls such as network segmentation and enhanced monitoring of SSL/TLS connections. The remediation process should include thorough certificate management procedures, including regular validation of certificate chains and implementation of certificate pinning where appropriate. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts and implement network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious certificate-related activities. Additionally, organizations should review their overall security architecture to ensure that the compromised certificate validation does not affect other security controls that depend on trusted communication channels, while also considering the potential need for immediate network isolation of affected systems until proper patches are deployed and validated.