CVE-2018-1528 in Maximo Asset Management
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Maximo Asset Management 7.6 through 7.6.3 could allow an authenticated user to obtain sensitive information from the WhoAmI API. IBM X-Force ID: 142290.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/01/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1528 affects IBM Maximo Asset Management versions 7.6 through 7.6.3, representing a significant information disclosure flaw that impacts the security posture of enterprise asset management systems. This vulnerability specifically targets the WhoAmI API endpoint, which is designed to authenticate and identify users within the system. The flaw allows authenticated users to access sensitive information that should remain restricted to authorized personnel only, creating potential risks for data confidentiality and system integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls within the WhoAmI API functionality. When authenticated users make requests to this endpoint, the system fails to properly validate or restrict the information returned in the response. This misconfiguration enables malicious actors who have gained legitimate credentials to extract additional user information beyond what is typically accessible through normal operations. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and leverages the existing authentication mechanisms rather than bypassing them entirely, making it particularly concerning as it exploits legitimate system functionality.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability compromises the confidentiality of user data within the Maximo environment and potentially exposes system architecture details that could aid in further attacks. The information disclosure could include user roles, permissions, or other sensitive metadata that would normally be restricted to administrators or specific user groups. Attackers could use this information to plan more sophisticated attacks, escalate privileges, or conduct reconnaissance activities targeting other system components. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on Maximo for critical asset management operations, potentially exposing business-critical information to unauthorized parties.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates released for this vulnerability. System administrators should also review and strengthen access controls around the WhoAmI API endpoint, ensuring that proper authorization checks are enforced. Network segmentation and monitoring of API calls can help detect anomalous access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing comprehensive audit logging for API endpoints will aid in identifying unauthorized access attempts and provide forensic data for incident response activities. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses improper exposure of sensitive information, and could potentially be leveraged as part of broader attack chains in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the credential access and discovery tactics.