CVE-2017-1672 in Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager 2.6 and 2.7 is vulnerable to cross-site request forgery which could allow an attacker to execute malicious and unauthorized actions transmitted from a user that the website trusts. IBM X-Force ID: 133639.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/28/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-1672 affects IBM Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager versions 2.6 and 2.7, representing a critical cross-site request forgery flaw that undermines the security posture of cryptographic key management systems. This vulnerability resides within the web-based administrative interface of the key lifecycle management solution, which is designed to handle sensitive cryptographic operations including key generation, distribution, and retirement processes. The flaw enables attackers to exploit the trust relationship between the web application and authenticated users, potentially allowing unauthorized actions to be executed on behalf of legitimate users who have established sessions with the system. The vulnerability is particularly concerning given that key lifecycle management systems handle highly sensitive cryptographic material that, if compromised, could lead to widespread security breaches across organizations relying on these cryptographic services.
The technical implementation of this cross-site request forgery vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation within the web application's administrative interfaces. Attackers can craft malicious web pages or exploit existing user sessions to submit forged requests that appear legitimate to the Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager system. These forged requests can manipulate key management operations such as creating new keys, modifying existing key properties, or deleting critical cryptographic assets. The vulnerability operates by leveraging the fact that the application does not adequately verify that requests originate from legitimate sources within the same origin domain, allowing malicious actors to exploit the trust relationship between the web application and authenticated users. This type of vulnerability is categorized under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it directly threatens the integrity and confidentiality of cryptographic key management operations within enterprise environments. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could potentially compromise the entire key infrastructure managed by Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager, leading to unauthorized key creation, modification, or deletion that could render cryptographic systems ineffective. Organizations using this system may face significant security risks including data breaches, loss of cryptographic trust, and potential compliance violations with regulatory frameworks such as pci dss, iso 27001, and nist cybersecurity framework. The attack vector typically involves social engineering campaigns where users are tricked into visiting malicious websites that contain embedded CSRF attack payloads, or through direct exploitation of vulnerable web application interfaces. The vulnerability can be particularly devastating in environments where the key lifecycle manager serves as a central hub for cryptographic operations across multiple applications and services.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should encompass both immediate remediation actions and long-term architectural improvements to prevent similar issues in the future. Organizations should prioritize applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates released by IBM to address this specific CSRF vulnerability in Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager. Additionally, implementing proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms within the web application's administrative interfaces, enforcing strict origin validation checks, and deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious request patterns are essential defensive measures. Network segmentation and privileged access controls should be implemented to limit the potential damage from successful exploitation attempts. The implementation of multi-factor authentication for administrative access and regular security audits of web applications should be part of the overall security posture. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to the principles of least privilege and defense in depth as outlined in the mitre ATT&CK framework's web application exploitation techniques, particularly focusing on the credential access and privilege escalation categories that could result from successful CSRF attacks on critical infrastructure systems.