CVE-2017-1459 in Security Access Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Security Access Manager Appliance 8.0.0 and 9.0.0 specifies permissions for a security-critical resource in a way that allows that resource to be read or modified by unintended actors. IBM X-Force ID: 128378.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/29/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-1459 affects IBM Security Access Manager Appliance versions 8.0.0 and 9.0.0, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the security posture of organizations relying on this identity and access management solution. This vulnerability stems from improper permission configuration for security-critical resources, creating a scenario where unauthorized actors can gain access to sensitive system components that should be restricted to authorized administrators only. The flaw exists within the appliance's privilege management framework, specifically in how it defines and enforces access controls for critical system resources. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the core security functionality of the appliance, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges and compromise the entire access management infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests as a misconfiguration in the access control mechanism where security-critical resources are exposed to unintended actors through flawed permission specifications. This misconfiguration allows unauthorized users to either read sensitive information or modify critical system components without proper authentication or authorization. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control issues where objects are accessible to actors who should not have access. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could potentially read configuration files, modify user permissions, access audit logs, or manipulate authentication mechanisms, all of which would severely compromise the appliance's ability to enforce security policies. The flaw essentially creates a backdoor through which unauthorized parties can bypass normal access controls and gain elevated privileges within the system.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-1459 extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, as it fundamentally undermines the trust model that security access management appliances are designed to provide. Organizations using affected versions of IBM Security Access Manager Appliance face significant risks including data breaches, privilege escalation attacks, and potential complete compromise of their identity and access management infrastructure. The vulnerability could enable attackers to impersonate legitimate users, gain administrative access to the appliance, or extract sensitive authentication credentials stored within the system. This would allow attackers to move laterally within the network and potentially gain access to other systems protected by the compromised access manager. The impact is particularly severe in environments where the appliance serves as a central authentication point for multiple applications and services, as a successful exploitation could provide attackers with access to the entire enterprise authentication ecosystem.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates released by IBM to address this vulnerability. The remediation process should involve comprehensive testing of the patched appliance in a staging environment before deployment to production systems to ensure no operational disruptions occur. Additionally, security teams should conduct thorough audits of access control configurations and implement network segmentation to limit access to the appliance to only authorized administrators. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper privilege management and access control implementation, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and legitimate credentials for persistence and privilege escalation. Organizations should also consider implementing additional monitoring and logging mechanisms to detect unauthorized access attempts to security-critical resources, as the vulnerability could enable attackers to operate undetected within the system for extended periods. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be performed to identify similar misconfigurations in other security infrastructure components to prevent similar incidents.