CVE-2018-1595 in Spectrum Symphony
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Spectrum Symphony and Platform Symphony 7.1.2 and 7.2.0.2 could allow an authenticated user to execute arbitrary commands due to improper handling of user supplied input. IBM X-Force ID: 143622.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/29/2023
IBM Spectrum Symphony and Platform Symphony versions 7.1.2 and 7.2.0.2 contain a critical command injection vulnerability that arises from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the application's processing pipeline. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-77 category, specifically representing a command injection flaw where user-supplied input is improperly handled and directly incorporated into system command execution contexts. The flaw exists in the application's authentication layer where legitimate users can exploit the insufficient sanitization of input parameters to inject malicious commands that will be executed with the privileges of the affected application process.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an authenticated user context, meaning attackers must first establish valid credentials within the system before attempting to leverage the command injection capability. This authentication requirement reduces the attack surface but does not eliminate the severity of the vulnerability, as compromised accounts or privilege escalation scenarios can quickly lead to full system compromise. The vulnerability manifests when user input is processed through shell execution functions without proper sanitization or encoding, allowing attackers to append malicious commands that get executed by the underlying operating system. This type of flaw directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, where adversaries execute commands through legitimate system interfaces.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as successful exploitation can enable attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, potentially leading to complete system compromise. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access, escalate privileges, or pivot to other systems within the network infrastructure. The affected IBM Spectrum Symphony environments may contain sensitive data processing capabilities, making the potential compromise particularly dangerous for organizations relying on these platforms for mission-critical workloads. Organizations using these specific versions face significant risk if proper access controls are not maintained, as the vulnerability can be exploited by both internal and external threat actors with valid credentials.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of the affected versions to address the input validation deficiencies. Organizations should implement robust input sanitization measures including parameter validation, escaping, and encoding to prevent malicious input from reaching execution contexts. Network segmentation and principle of least privilege access controls can help limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. Additionally, monitoring systems should be configured to detect anomalous command execution patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure input handling practices and aligns with security best practices outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST Cybersecurity Framework, emphasizing the need for comprehensive application security testing including dynamic and static analysis to identify similar injection vulnerabilities across the application portfolio.