CVE-2018-1182 in RSA Identity Governance
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in EMC RSA Identity Governance and Lifecycle versions 7.0.1, 7.0.2, all patch levels (hardware appliance and software bundle deployments only); RSA Via Lifecycle and Governance version 7.0, all patch levels (hardware appliance and software bundle deployments only); RSA Identity Management & Governance (RSA IMG) versions 6.9.0, 6.9.1, all patch levels (hardware appliance and software bundle deployments only). It allows certain OS level users to execute arbitrary scripts with root level privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/17/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1182 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw affecting multiple versions of EMC RSA Identity Governance and Lifecycle platforms. This security weakness specifically impacts hardware appliance and software bundle deployments across various product lines including RSA Identity Governance and Lifecycle 7.0.1 and 7.0.2, RSA Via Lifecycle and Governance 7.0, and RSA Identity Management & Governance 6.9.0 and 6.9.1. The flaw stems from inadequate privilege controls within the system's execution mechanisms, allowing unauthorized operating system users to escalate their privileges and execute malicious code with root-level permissions. This vulnerability directly violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and privilege separation, creating a severe attack surface that could enable full system compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a flaw in the privilege management subsystem where certain user-level processes or scripts can be manipulated to gain elevated privileges without proper authentication or authorization checks. The issue manifests when legitimate users with standard operating system permissions can leverage specific execution paths or command invocations that bypass normal privilege boundaries. This typically occurs through improper input validation, weak access controls, or insecure privilege escalation mechanisms within the application's runtime environment. The vulnerability operates at the operating system level rather than at the application layer, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited regardless of application-specific protections. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-276: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resources, which specifically addresses improper permissions that allow unauthorized access to system resources. The attack vector likely involves exploiting command injection points or execution contexts where user input is not properly sanitized before being processed with elevated privileges.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-1182 is severe and potentially devastating for organizations relying on RSA Identity Governance and Lifecycle platforms. Successful exploitation enables attackers to achieve complete system compromise with root privileges, providing unrestricted access to all system resources, data, and services. This includes potential access to sensitive identity management data, user credentials, and privileged system information that could be used for lateral movement within the network. The vulnerability undermines the core security posture of identity governance systems, which are designed to protect critical access control functions and privileged accounts. Organizations may face regulatory compliance violations, data breaches, and significant operational disruption when this vulnerability is exploited. The impact extends beyond immediate system compromise to potential long-term security degradation, as attackers could establish persistent backdoors or modify system configurations to maintain access. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and enables subsequent tactics including persistence, privilege escalation, and defense evasion, making it a critical concern for cybersecurity operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-1182 should prioritize immediate patch deployment from EMC RSA, as this represents the most effective defense against the vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring for unauthorized privilege escalation attempts and suspicious system activities that could indicate exploitation attempts. Access controls should be reviewed and strengthened to ensure proper privilege separation and minimize the attack surface for potential exploitation. System administrators should implement principle of least privilege practices and regularly audit user permissions to prevent unauthorized access to critical system functions. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual privilege escalation patterns or unauthorized system access attempts. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their RSA Identity Governance and Lifecycle deployments to identify any potential exploitation indicators. The vulnerability's impact on identity management systems makes it particularly important for organizations to maintain robust incident response procedures and ensure proper forensic capabilities for investigating potential compromise scenarios. Regular security updates and vulnerability management processes should be strengthened to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future.