CVE-2017-1727 in Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager 2.5, 2.6, and 2.7 discloses sensitive information in error messages that could aid an attacker in further attacks against the system. IBM X-Force ID: 134869.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/28/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-1727 affects IBM Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager versions 2.5, 2.6, and 2.7, representing a critical information disclosure flaw that exposes sensitive system details through improperly handled error messages. This vulnerability falls under the category of information exposure through error handling mechanisms, which is classified as CWE-209 in the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The flaw enables attackers to gain insights into the internal workings of the key management system by analyzing error responses that contain detailed technical information about system operations, configuration details, and potentially sensitive data structures.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to sanitize error messages before returning them to clients or users. When the system encounters processing errors during key lifecycle operations, it includes verbose diagnostic information in the error responses that reveal internal system states, component names, version numbers, and potentially even database schema details or operational parameters. This occurs because the error handling mechanism lacks proper input validation and output sanitization, allowing raw system information to be exposed without adequate security controls. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because key lifecycle management systems handle cryptographic keys and sensitive operational data, making any information disclosure potentially valuable to threat actors seeking to escalate their attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with critical intelligence for planning more sophisticated attacks against the system. An attacker who discovers this vulnerability can use the leaked information to understand system architecture, identify potential attack vectors, and craft more targeted exploitation strategies. The exposure of version information, component names, and system configurations enables threat actors to identify known vulnerabilities in specific versions of the software and develop or acquire exploit code specifically designed for those targets. Additionally, the disclosed information can be used for reconnaissance purposes in broader network attack campaigns, potentially leading to lateral movement and privilege escalation within the affected environment.
Security practitioners should implement comprehensive mitigations to address this vulnerability through multiple defensive layers. The primary remediation involves modifying the application's error handling mechanism to ensure that all error responses are sanitized and do not contain sensitive system information. This includes implementing generic error messages that do not reveal internal system details, version information, or operational parameters. Organizations should also consider implementing proper logging mechanisms that capture detailed error information internally while presenting sanitized responses to external users. The mitigation strategy aligns with the principle of least privilege and defense in depth as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, where information disclosure is categorized under the initial access and reconnaissance phases. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar error handling vulnerabilities in other applications and ensure that proper input validation and output sanitization practices are maintained throughout the software development lifecycle.