CVE-2018-1447 in Spectrum Protect
Summary
by MITRE
The GSKit (IBM Spectrum Protect 7.1 and 7.2) and (IBM Spectrum Protect Snapshot 4.1.3, 4.1.4, and 4.1.6) CMS KDB logic fails to salt the hash function resulting in weaker than expected protection of passwords. A weak password may be recovered. Note: After update the customer should change password to ensure the new password is stored more securely. Products should encourage customers to take this step as a high priority action. IBM X-Force ID: 139972.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/27/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1447 affects IBM Spectrum Protect and IBM Spectrum Protect Snapshot products, specifically targeting the GSKit component responsible for cryptographic key management. This weakness resides in the CMS KDB (Key Database) logic implementation where the hashing process lacks proper salting mechanisms. The cryptographic failure creates a predictable vulnerability that significantly weakens password protection mechanisms within these enterprise backup solutions. The flaw impacts versions 7.1 and 7.2 of IBM Spectrum Protect, along with snapshot versions 4.1.3, 4.1.4, and 4.1.6, representing a substantial portion of IBM's backup and recovery portfolio that organizations rely upon for critical data protection.
The technical implementation flaw stems from the absence of cryptographic salt in the hash function execution within the CMS KDB component. Without proper salting, identical passwords produce identical hash values, making the system susceptible to rainbow table attacks and precomputed hash lookups. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-916, which addresses weak hash functions and inadequate cryptographic practices in password storage mechanisms. The weakness allows attackers with access to the password database to potentially recover weak passwords through brute force or dictionary attacks, as the lack of salt eliminates the primary defense against such attacks. The cryptographic implementation violates fundamental security principles outlined in NIST SP 800-112 and other cryptographic standards that mandate proper salting for password hashing.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple password recovery, as it compromises the foundational security of enterprise backup systems. Organizations utilizing affected IBM Spectrum Protect versions face potential unauthorized access to backup environments, which could lead to data breaches, system compromise, and disruption of critical backup operations. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that remains active until the affected systems are patched and passwords are rotated. Security analysts should consider this weakness in their risk assessments as it represents a critical configuration issue that could be exploited by both internal and external threat actors. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning given that backup systems often contain sensitive organizational data, making the compromise of authentication mechanisms particularly damaging.
Organizations should immediately implement the vendor-provided patches and follow IBM's recommendation to change all passwords within affected systems. The remediation process requires careful planning and execution to ensure that existing passwords are properly rehashed with salted algorithms before being stored in the updated system. Security teams should prioritize password rotation across all affected systems, implementing strong password policies that enforce complexity requirements and regular changes. The vulnerability's classification as a high-priority issue according to IBM X-Force ID 139972 indicates the severity of potential exploitation scenarios. System administrators should monitor for any suspicious authentication attempts and consider implementing additional security controls such as multi-factor authentication as compensating measures while the password changes are being implemented. The incident response process should include verification that the updated systems properly implement cryptographic salting and that all new passwords are stored using secure hashing mechanisms compliant with industry standards.