CVE-2018-11049 in RSA Identity Management
Summary
by MITRE
RSA Identity Governance and Lifecycle, RSA Via Lifecycle and Governance, and RSA IMG releases have an uncontrolled search vulnerability. The installation scripts set an environment variable in an unintended manner. A local authenticated malicious user could trick the root user to run malicious code on the targeted system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/05/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-11049 affects RSA Identity Governance and Lifecycle platforms including RSA Via Lifecycle and Governance and RSA IMG products. This represents a critical uncontrolled search path vulnerability that stems from improper handling of environment variables during installation processes. The flaw creates a dangerous condition where malicious code execution can occur through manipulation of system paths. The vulnerability specifically impacts the installation scripts that configure environment variables in ways that inadvertently allow privilege escalation attacks. When these scripts execute with elevated privileges, they process environment variables that have been tampered with by an authenticated local attacker, creating a pathway for arbitrary code execution. The security implications are severe because the vulnerability requires minimal privileges to exploit, as the malicious user only needs local authentication access to manipulate the environment variables that get processed during installation or system operations. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-428 which describes "Uncontrolled Search Path Element" and represents a classic privilege escalation vector where attackers can manipulate the order in which system components are accessed. The attack vector operates through the principle that the system processes environment variables in a predictable order, and when these variables contain malicious paths or commands, the system executes code from unintended locations. The vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly innocuous installation processes can create persistent security weaknesses that remain exploitable for extended periods.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the installation scripts that improperly construct environment variable paths, particularly the PATH variable which determines where system binaries are located. When a malicious user gains local authentication access, they can manipulate these environment variables to include malicious directories or executables before legitimate system paths. The root user, when executing installation or system maintenance commands, will then execute the attacker-controlled code instead of the intended system binaries. This type of attack maps directly to ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" and specifically addresses how uncontrolled search paths can be exploited to gain elevated privileges. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages the trust relationship between system components and the environment variable processing mechanisms. Attackers can craft malicious paths that appear legitimate to the system but actually point to attacker-controlled code locations, making detection difficult and exploitation straightforward. The flaw essentially creates a race condition where the environment variable settings are not properly validated or sanitized before being processed by system commands that execute with elevated privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass potential complete system compromise and data exfiltration capabilities. Once an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can execute arbitrary code with root privileges, potentially leading to persistent backdoor installation, system monitoring, or data theft. The vulnerability affects multiple RSA products in the identity governance and lifecycle management space, suggesting widespread exposure across enterprise environments that utilize these platforms. Organizations using these products face significant risk because the vulnerability can remain undetected for extended periods, especially in environments where system maintenance is performed regularly and installation scripts are executed by privileged users. The attack requires minimal sophistication and can be automated, making it particularly dangerous for large enterprises where multiple systems may be vulnerable. Security monitoring becomes challenging because the malicious activity appears to be legitimate system operations, making traditional log analysis insufficient for detection. The vulnerability also impacts the integrity of system installations, as attackers can inject malicious code into the installation process, potentially compromising the entire platform and its associated security controls.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including thorough review and hardening of installation scripts to prevent improper environment variable manipulation, and enforcement of strict privilege separation during system operations. System administrators should audit environment variable configurations and ensure that PATH variables are properly sanitized and validated before processing. The recommended approach includes implementing automated checks that verify environment variable contents and prevent the execution of commands from untrusted or unexpected paths. Security teams should also deploy enhanced monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous environment variable usage patterns and flag potential exploitation attempts. Patch management procedures should be prioritized to ensure that all affected RSA products receive the appropriate security updates. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing principle of least privilege controls and restricting local authentication access to systems where these vulnerabilities exist. The mitigation strategy should also include regular security assessments of installation processes and environment variable handling to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. These measures align with security frameworks such as NIST SP 800-53 controls for system and information integrity, which emphasize the importance of protecting against unauthorized code execution and maintaining system integrity through proper configuration management and privilege controls.