CVE-2018-1348 in Identity Manager
Summary
by MITRE
NetIQ Identity Manager driver, in versions prior to 4.7, allows for an SSL handshake renegotiation which could result in a MITM attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1348 affects NetIQ Identity Manager driver versions prior to 4.7, presenting a significant security risk through improper SSL/TLS implementation. This flaw enables attackers to exploit SSL handshake renegotiation capabilities, creating opportunities for man-in-the-middle attacks that can compromise the integrity and confidentiality of communications between systems. The vulnerability specifically targets the SSL protocol implementation within the identity management infrastructure, which serves as a critical component in enterprise authentication and access control systems.
The technical flaw stems from the driver's inadequate handling of SSL renegotiation processes, allowing malicious actors to perform protocol downgrade attacks or inject malicious content into secure communications. When SSL renegotiation occurs, the system fails to properly validate the security context, potentially permitting attackers to establish connections with compromised certificates or manipulate the cryptographic parameters during the renegotiation phase. This weakness directly relates to CWE-310, which addresses cryptographic weaknesses in SSL/TLS implementations, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046 for network service scanning and T1566 for credential harvesting through network-based attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple communication interception, as it can enable attackers to compromise identity management systems that control access to critical enterprise resources. Organizations relying on NetIQ Identity Manager for authentication and authorization may experience unauthorized access to sensitive data, privilege escalation, and potential lateral movement within their networks. The vulnerability's exploitation can result in complete compromise of identity infrastructure, affecting user authentication, access control, and overall security posture. Attackers can leverage this weakness to impersonate legitimate users, gain administrative privileges, or extract sensitive authentication credentials from the compromised communication channels.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching to version 4.7 or later, which addresses the SSL renegotiation vulnerability through proper cryptographic protocol enforcement. Organizations must also implement additional network monitoring to detect anomalous SSL renegotiation activities and establish proper certificate validation procedures. Security controls should include disabling unnecessary SSL renegotiation capabilities, implementing certificate pinning mechanisms, and deploying network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation. The remediation process should involve thorough testing of patched systems to ensure compatibility with existing identity management workflows while maintaining the enhanced security posture required to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.