CVE-2017-1350 in InfoSphere Information Server
Summary
by MITRE
IBM InfoSphere Information Server 9.1, 11.3, 11.5, and 11.7 could allow a user to escalate their privileges to administrator due to improper access controls. IBM X-Force ID: 126526.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/21/2023
IBM InfoSphere Information Server versions 9.1, 11.3, 11.5, and 11.7 contain a critical privilege escalation vulnerability that stems from inadequate access control mechanisms within the application's authentication and authorization framework. This vulnerability allows authenticated users to elevate their privileges to administrator level without proper authorization, fundamentally undermining the system's security model and potentially enabling unauthorized access to sensitive data and system resources.
The technical flaw manifests through improper validation of user permissions and role assignments within the server's access control system. Attackers can exploit this weakness by manipulating session tokens or exploiting specific API endpoints that do not properly verify the requesting user's administrative privileges before executing privileged operations. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control issues where systems fail to properly enforce authorization checks. This weakness creates a direct path for privilege escalation attacks that bypass the intended security boundaries of the information server platform.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables attackers to gain complete administrative control over the InfoSphere Information Server environment. Once escalated to administrator level, malicious actors can modify system configurations, access all data within the server, create or modify user accounts, and potentially deploy malicious code or scripts throughout the system. This represents a severe compromise of the system's integrity and confidentiality, as the attacker can essentially operate as a root user within the application's security context. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on InfoSphere for critical data integration and management services, potentially exposing sensitive enterprise data to unauthorized access and manipulation.
Organizations should immediately implement the vendor-provided security patches and updates for the affected IBM InfoSphere Information Server versions to address this privilege escalation vulnerability. System administrators should also conduct comprehensive access control reviews to identify and remediate any existing unauthorized administrative accounts that may have been compromised through this vulnerability. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious authentication patterns and privilege escalation attempts. The mitigation strategy should include regular security assessments of the information server environment and implementation of principle of least privilege controls to minimize the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing additional authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication to provide defense in depth against privilege escalation attacks. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper access control implementation and the potential consequences of inadequate authorization checks in enterprise information systems.