CVE-2018-1368 in Security Guardium Database Activity Monitor
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Security Guardium Database Activity Monitor 9.0, 9.1, and 9.5 could allow a local user with low privileges to view report pages and perform some actions that only an admin should be performing, so there is risk that someone not authorized can change things that they are not suppose to. IBM X-Force ID: 137765.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/03/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1368 affects IBM Security Guardium Database Activity Monitor versions 9.0, 9.1, and 9.5, representing a critical authorization flaw that undermines the security model of the database monitoring solution. This issue stems from insufficient access controls within the application's web interface, where local users with minimal privileges can bypass intended security boundaries to access administrative functions. The vulnerability specifically impacts the report viewing capabilities and operational controls that should be restricted to authorized administrators only, creating a significant risk of unauthorized modifications to system configurations and monitoring parameters.
The technical nature of this flaw constitutes a privilege escalation vulnerability that operates at the application layer, classified under CWE-284 which addresses improper access control mechanisms. The vulnerability allows low-privileged local users to navigate to administrative report pages and execute functions that require administrative permissions, effectively enabling them to perform unauthorized actions within the Guardium environment. This misconfiguration of access controls creates a pathway for potential attackers to escalate their privileges and gain unauthorized access to sensitive database monitoring data and system configuration parameters.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses substantial risks to database security and compliance environments where Guardium is deployed to monitor and control database activities. The ability of unauthorized users to view administrative reports and perform privileged actions directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of database monitoring operations, potentially allowing malicious actors to bypass security controls, modify monitoring rules, or access sensitive audit data. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access as it undermines the trust model of the security solution itself, potentially leading to data breaches or compliance violations in regulated environments where database activity monitoring is critical.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates released for this vulnerability, conducting thorough access control reviews, and implementing network segmentation to limit local user access to the Guardium application. Additionally, security teams should monitor for unauthorized access attempts and review administrative logs for any suspicious activities that might indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. The remediation approach should align with industry best practices for privilege management and access control as outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and should be integrated into broader security operations center procedures to ensure comprehensive protection against similar authorization flaws.