CVE-2017-9272 in IDM
Summary
by MITRE
The Bi-directional driver in IDM 4.5 before 4.0.3.0 could be susceptible to a denial of service attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/22/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-9272 affects the bidirectional driver component within IDM 4.5 versions prior to 4.0.3.0, representing a significant security weakness that could be exploited to disrupt system operations. This flaw resides within the identity management framework's communication layer, specifically targeting the driver responsible for facilitating data synchronization between the IDM system and external directories or applications. The affected component operates as a critical interface element that processes and forwards identity data in both directions, making it a potential attack vector for malicious actors seeking to compromise system availability.
The technical implementation flaw stems from inadequate input validation and error handling within the bidirectional driver's processing logic. When the driver receives malformed or unexpected data streams from connected systems, it fails to properly sanitize the incoming information before processing. This deficiency creates a condition where specially crafted inputs can cause the driver to enter an unstable state or terminate unexpectedly. The vulnerability manifests as a denial of service condition where legitimate system operations are disrupted, preventing proper identity synchronization and potentially blocking user access to authenticated services. The flaw operates at the protocol level where the driver processes communication messages, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect the entire identity management infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the integrity of identity management processes across affected organizations. When exploited, the denial of service condition can prevent users from authenticating properly, block access to critical applications, and disrupt automated provisioning workflows that depend on the driver's functionality. Organizations relying on IDM 4.5 for user lifecycle management may experience cascading failures where identity synchronization breaks, leading to inconsistent user access rights and potential security gaps. The vulnerability affects systems that depend on continuous data flow between identity stores and applications, making it particularly problematic in enterprise environments where identity management is critical for operational continuity.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patch application to upgrade IDM 4.5 installations to version 4.0.3.0 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the bidirectional driver's input validation and error handling mechanisms. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of the affected driver components to untrusted networks. Monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual traffic patterns or repeated connection failures that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses improper handling of input data leading to denial of service conditions, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks. Security teams should also consider implementing redundant identity management processes and maintaining detailed audit logs to track driver behavior and identify potential exploitation attempts. Regular vulnerability assessments should be conducted to ensure all identity management components remain up to date with security patches and follow secure coding practices to prevent similar issues in future implementations.