CVE-2017-1409 in Security Identity Governance Virtual Appliance
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Security Identity Governance Virtual Appliance 5.2 through 5.2.3.2 discloses sensitive information to unauthorized users. The information can be used to mount further attacks on the system. IBM X-Force ID: 127396.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/01/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-1409 affects IBM Security Identity Governance Virtual Appliance versions 5.2 through 5.2.3.2, representing a critical information disclosure flaw that exposes sensitive system data to unauthorized parties. This vulnerability resides within the appliance's authentication and authorization mechanisms, where improper access controls allow attackers to gain visibility into confidential information that should remain restricted to authorized personnel only. The affected system operates as a virtual appliance solution designed to manage identity governance and access control within enterprise environments, making it a prime target for adversaries seeking to escalate their privileges and compromise the broader security infrastructure. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data exposure as the disclosed information can serve as a foundation for subsequent attack vectors, enabling threat actors to craft more sophisticated and targeted assaults against the compromised environment.
The technical implementation flaw manifests through inadequate input validation and insufficient privilege checking mechanisms within the appliance's web interface and administrative services. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specific requests that bypass normal authentication procedures, allowing them to access configuration files, user credentials, system logs, and other sensitive data that should be protected by proper access controls. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through standard web-based attack methods, making it particularly dangerous as it requires minimal specialized knowledge to execute successfully. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-200: Information Exposure, which encompasses any situation where information is disclosed to unauthorized actors, and potentially CWE-284: Improper Access Control, given the failure to properly enforce authorization mechanisms. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that this vulnerability affects the virtual appliance's administrative interface, providing access to critical system components that control identity governance policies and user access rights.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-1409 extends far beyond immediate data disclosure, as the exposed information creates opportunities for privilege escalation and lateral movement within the compromised network. Adversaries can leverage the disclosed credentials and configuration details to establish persistent access, manipulate identity governance policies, and potentially compromise the entire identity management infrastructure. The vulnerability affects enterprise environments that rely on proper identity governance controls, potentially leading to widespread security breaches where unauthorized users can assume legitimate identities and access restricted resources. Organizations using the affected appliance may experience significant operational disruption as attackers exploit the vulnerability to undermine trust in the identity governance system, potentially causing cascading effects throughout the enterprise security infrastructure. The attack can be executed remotely without requiring physical access to the system, making it particularly concerning for organizations that depend on the appliance for critical access control functions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-1409 should prioritize immediate patch deployment as provided by IBM, which addresses the underlying access control implementation flaws in the appliance software. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the appliance to authorized administrative networks only, reducing the attack surface available to potential threat actors. Additional defensive measures include implementing strict firewall rules that restrict access to administrative ports and services, deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious access patterns, and conducting comprehensive network scanning to identify any unauthorized access attempts. Security teams should also review and validate all access control policies within the appliance, ensuring that proper authentication and authorization mechanisms are enforced. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1078: Valid Accounts and T1566: Phishing, as adversaries can leverage the disclosed information to establish legitimate access and subsequently use that access for further exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing additional monitoring and logging controls to detect unauthorized access attempts and maintain comprehensive audit trails of all administrative activities within the appliance. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing robust access control measures within identity governance systems to prevent unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information that could compromise entire enterprise security infrastructures.