CVE-2018-13820 in Unified Infrastructure Management
Summary
by MITRE
A hardcoded passphrase, in CA Unified Infrastructure Management 8.5.1, 8.5, and 8.4.7, allows attackers to access sensitive information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/19/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-13820 represents a critical security flaw in CA Unified Infrastructure Management versions 8.5.1, 8.5, and 8.4.7 where a hardcoded passphrase exists within the software implementation. This weakness falls under the category of hardcoded credentials as classified by CWE-259, which specifically addresses the use of hard-coded passwords or passphrases that can be easily discovered by attackers. The presence of such credentials in the application code creates a persistent security risk that extends beyond typical authentication mechanisms and fundamentally compromises the system's security posture.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the developers embedding a fixed passphrase directly into the software source code or configuration files during the development phase. This hardcoded value is typically used for internal system communications, encryption purposes, or administrative access controls within the unified infrastructure management platform. Attackers who discover this hardcoded passphrase can leverage it to gain unauthorized access to sensitive system components, potentially compromising the entire infrastructure management environment. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it represents a persistent backdoor that remains active regardless of system updates or user credential changes.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to access sensitive information within the CA Unified Infrastructure Management environment, potentially including system configuration details, monitoring data, performance metrics, and other confidential operational information. The attack surface expands significantly as the hardcoded passphrase can be used to authenticate and access multiple system components without requiring legitimate user credentials or complex exploitation techniques. This vulnerability directly violates security principles outlined in the NIST SP 800-53 security controls, particularly those related to access control and system and information integrity. The impact extends beyond simple data exposure as it can enable further attacks including privilege escalation, lateral movement within the network, and potential system compromise.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-13820 require immediate action from system administrators and security teams. The primary recommendation involves upgrading to a patched version of CA Unified Infrastructure Management that removes or properly manages the hardcoded passphrase. Organizations should also implement comprehensive vulnerability scanning procedures to identify any other hardcoded credentials within their systems, as this represents a broader class of vulnerabilities that may exist in legacy applications. Security teams should consider implementing runtime protection measures and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts using the hardcoded credentials. Additionally, the remediation process should include thorough code reviews and security assessments to prevent similar issues in future development cycles, aligning with the ATT&CK framework's mitigation strategies for credential access and defense evasion techniques. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following secure coding practices and avoiding hardcoded sensitive information in production systems.