CVE-2017-5190 in Access Manager
Summary
by MITRE
NetIQ Access Manager 4.2 before SP3 HF1 and 4.3 before SP1 HF1, when configured as a SAML 2.0 Identity Server with Virtual Attributes, has a concurrency issue causing information leakage, related to a stale profile.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/21/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-5190 affects NetIQ Access Manager versions prior to specific hotfix releases, specifically impacting deployments configured as SAML 2.0 Identity Servers with Virtual Attributes functionality. This issue represents a significant security flaw that stems from improper handling of concurrent user sessions and profile management within the authentication infrastructure. The vulnerability manifests when the system fails to properly invalidate or refresh user profiles during concurrent authentication attempts, creating a window where stale profile data can be accessed by unauthorized parties.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the concurrency management mechanisms within the NetIQ Access Manager's profile handling system. When multiple authentication requests occur simultaneously for the same user account, the system does not properly synchronize profile updates or invalidate stale references. This concurrency issue creates a race condition where outdated profile information remains accessible even after user sessions have been terminated or updated. The flaw is particularly dangerous in SAML 2.0 Identity Server configurations where virtual attributes are dynamically generated and managed, as these attributes often contain sensitive information that should not persist beyond the legitimate session duration. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-362, which describes race conditions that can lead to security issues through improper synchronization of concurrent operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information leakage to potentially enable credential compromise and unauthorized access to protected resources. Attackers can exploit this flaw to access stale user profiles containing sensitive attributes, session tokens, or other privileged information that should only be available during active authentication sessions. This information leakage can facilitate further attacks including privilege escalation, session hijacking, or unauthorized access to systems and applications that rely on the affected NetIQ Access Manager for authentication. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where access manager systems serve as critical components of identity and access management infrastructure, as it can undermine the integrity of the entire authentication ecosystem.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement the vendor-provided hotfixes for NetIQ Access Manager versions 4.2 SP3 HF1 and 4.3 SP1 HF1, which address the concurrency handling issues in profile management. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous authentication patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The implementation of additional access controls and session management policies can help mitigate the risk while awaiting patch deployment. Security teams should conduct comprehensive audits of their NetIQ Access Manager configurations to identify all instances of the vulnerable software and ensure proper patching across the enterprise. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper concurrency control in identity management systems and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers credential harvesting through various access management systems. Organizations should also consider implementing automated patch management processes to prevent similar issues from arising in the future, as the vulnerability represents a failure in proper software quality assurance and concurrent processing controls that are fundamental to secure identity management solutions.