CVE-2018-1741 in Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager 2.6, 2.7, and 3.0 does not properly limit the number or frequency of interaction which could be used to cause a denial of service, compromise program logic or other consequences. IBM X-Force ID: 148420.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/23/2023
IBM Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager versions 2.6, 2.7, and 3.0 contain a vulnerability that fails to properly enforce limits on the number or frequency of interactions with the system. This weakness falls under the category of insufficient resource management as classified by CWE-770, where the application does not adequately control resource consumption or interaction rates. The vulnerability creates an opportunity for attackers to exploit the lack of proper rate limiting and interaction controls, potentially leading to resource exhaustion and system instability.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's failure to implement adequate throttling mechanisms or interaction frequency controls. This absence allows malicious actors to submit excessive requests or perform repeated interactions that can overwhelm system resources or disrupt normal program execution flows. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects core key lifecycle management functionality where continuous system availability is critical for security operations. Attackers could leverage this weakness to perform denial of service attacks by exhausting system resources through excessive interaction patterns.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise program logic and overall system integrity. When systems become overwhelmed by excessive interaction patterns, normal key management operations may fail, leading to security gaps in key rotation, distribution, and lifecycle management processes. This can create cascading effects where legitimate users cannot access key management services while attackers exploit the resource exhaustion to gain unauthorized access or manipulate key management workflows. The vulnerability affects the availability and reliability of critical security infrastructure that organizations depend upon for maintaining cryptographic key security.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper rate limiting and interaction controls within the application layer. Organizations should deploy network-level rate limiting mechanisms and consider implementing additional monitoring to detect unusual interaction patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for resource exhaustion attacks and represents a failure to implement proper access control mechanisms as outlined in CWE-693. System administrators should ensure that all instances of IBM Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager are updated to patched versions that address the insufficient interaction limiting controls. Regular security assessments should include testing for proper resource management and interaction frequency controls to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other system components.