CVE-2018-1498 in Security Guardium EcoSystem
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Security Guardium EcoSystem 10.5 stores user credentials in plain in clear text which can be read by a local user. IBM X-Force ID: 141223.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1498 affects IBM Security Guardium EcoSystem version 10.5, representing a critical security flaw in credential storage practices that exposes sensitive authentication information to unauthorized local access. This issue manifests as plaintext storage of user credentials within the system, creating an inherent weakness that directly violates fundamental security principles of credential protection. The vulnerability specifically impacts the configuration and operational integrity of the Guardium EcoSystem, which serves as a comprehensive database security platform designed to monitor and protect database environments. The flaw allows any local user with access to the system to read stored credentials in their unencrypted form, effectively undermining the security controls that should protect sensitive authentication data.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability constitutes a clear violation of the CWE-312 weakness category, specifically classified as "Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information," which occurs when sensitive data is stored in an unencrypted format. The flaw demonstrates poor cryptographic practices and inadequate security controls within the application's credential management system. IBM Security Guardium EcoSystem 10.5 fails to implement proper encryption mechanisms for storing user credentials, leaving them vulnerable to extraction by any local user with access to the system files or processes. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that local access often requires minimal privileges or can be achieved through various exploitation vectors, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users have access to the system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it can lead to unauthorized access to database environments, potential data breaches, and compromise of the entire security infrastructure that Guardium is designed to protect. Attackers who gain local access to the system can immediately extract stored credentials and use them to authenticate to other systems, potentially escalating their privileges and expanding their access within the network. This vulnerability directly relates to the ATT&CK technique T1555.003, "Credentials from Password Stores," which describes how adversaries can obtain credentials from local password stores. The compromise of stored credentials in this context enables lateral movement within the network and can facilitate more sophisticated attacks that rely on legitimate authentication mechanisms. Organizations using Guardium EcoSystem 10.5 face significant risk of unauthorized access to their database environments, as the vulnerability essentially provides attackers with a direct pathway to authentication credentials without requiring additional exploitation techniques.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements to prevent similar issues in future deployments. Organizations should immediately upgrade to a patched version of IBM Security Guardium EcoSystem that implements proper encryption for credential storage, ensuring that all user authentication data is protected through strong cryptographic mechanisms. System administrators should conduct comprehensive audits of credential storage practices across all applications and services, implementing mandatory encryption requirements for any sensitive data storage. The remediation process should include reviewing and implementing proper access controls to limit local user privileges, as well as establishing monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized access attempts to credential storage areas. Additionally, organizations should implement principle of least privilege controls and ensure that local user accounts have minimal necessary permissions to reduce the impact of credential exposure. Security teams should also consider implementing additional layers of authentication such as multi-factor authentication to provide defense-in-depth against credential compromise scenarios.