CVE-2017-1395 in Security Identity Governance
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Security Identity Governance and Intelligence Virtual Appliance 5.2 through 5.2.3.2 could allow a remote attacker to obtain sensitive information, caused by the failure to properly enable HTTP Strict Transport Security. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to obtain sensitive information using man in the middle techniques. IBM X-Force ID: 127341.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-1395 affects IBM Security Identity Governance and Intelligence Virtual Appliance versions 5.2 through 5.2.3.2, representing a significant security weakness that exposes systems to man-in-the-middle attacks. This flaw stems from the improper implementation of HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) mechanisms within the appliance's web interface, creating an exploitable condition that undermines the security posture of organizations relying on this identity governance solution. The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-311, which specifically addresses the absence of proper encryption of sensitive data, and represents a critical gap in the appliance's secure communication protocols.
The technical flaw manifests through the failure to properly configure HSTS headers in the web server responses, which should enforce secure HTTPS connections and prevent downgrade attacks. Without proper HSTS implementation, attackers can intercept communications between users and the appliance, potentially capturing authentication credentials, session tokens, and other sensitive information transmitted over the network. This weakness enables adversaries to execute successful man-in-the-middle attacks by exploiting the absence of strict transport security measures that should prevent HTTP to HTTPS redirection and ensure encrypted communication channels. The vulnerability directly impacts the appliance's web-based administrative interface and user authentication mechanisms, creating opportunities for unauthorized access to identity governance data and system configurations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it fundamentally compromises the trust model of the security appliance. Organizations utilizing this virtual appliance face elevated risks of credential theft, session hijacking, and unauthorized access to identity management systems, potentially leading to broader network compromise. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to user accounts, modify identity data, or escalate privileges within the governance environment. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive identity information, including user credentials, access control policies, and identity attributes that form the foundation of enterprise security infrastructure. This exposure creates cascading security risks that could undermine the entire identity governance framework.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-1395 require immediate implementation of proper HSTS header configuration within the appliance's web server settings, ensuring that all HTTP responses include the strict-transport-security header with appropriate parameters. Organizations should also implement network-level protections such as SSL/TLS inspection and monitoring to detect potential man-in-the-middle activities. The recommended approach includes configuring the web server to enforce HTTPS-only connections, setting appropriate HSTS header values with sufficient max-age parameters, and ensuring proper certificate management to maintain secure communication channels. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough network traffic analysis to identify any ongoing exploitation attempts and implement network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful attacks. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper transport security implementation in security appliances and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol: DNS, emphasizing the need for comprehensive secure communication protocols in identity management systems.