CVE-2018-1745 in Security Key Lifecycle Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Security Key Lifecycle Manager 2.7 and 3.0 could allow an unauthenticated user to restart the SKLM server due to missing authentication. IBM X-Force ID: 148424.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1745 affects IBM Security Key Lifecycle Manager versions 2.7 and 3.0, presenting a critical security weakness that undermines the integrity and availability of the system. This flaw resides in the server's authentication mechanisms, specifically allowing unauthenticated users to perform critical system operations that should be restricted to authorized personnel only. The vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls that fail to properly validate user credentials before permitting system-level actions, creating an attack surface that malicious actors can exploit without requiring any prior authorization or credentials.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a clear failure in the application's security architecture, where the restart functionality lacks proper authentication checks. When an attacker accesses the system's management interface or API endpoints, they can trigger server restart commands without providing valid authentication tokens or credentials. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege, where system operations that could disrupt service availability are accessible to anyone with network access to the vulnerable system. The flaw operates at the application layer and can be exploited through network-based attacks, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the system is exposed to untrusted networks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, potentially leading to denial of service conditions that can disrupt critical key management operations within enterprise security infrastructures. When an unauthenticated user can restart the SKLM server, they effectively gain the ability to cause system downtime, which can result in significant business disruption and compromise the security posture of organizations relying on proper key lifecycle management. The restart capability can be leveraged to interrupt ongoing cryptographic operations, potentially causing key loss or corruption, and can also be used as a preliminary step for more sophisticated attacks that may follow. This vulnerability directly impacts the availability and reliability of the security infrastructure, making it difficult for legitimate administrators to maintain consistent service delivery.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust authentication mechanisms and access controls that ensure only authorized personnel can perform critical system operations. Organizations should immediately apply the vendor-provided patches or updates that address this authentication bypass flaw, while also implementing network segmentation to limit access to the affected system. Security configurations should be reviewed to ensure that administrative functions require proper authentication before execution, and network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues, and represents a clear violation of the principle of authentication in the MITRE ATT&CK framework. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as multi-factor authentication for administrative access and regular security assessments to identify similar authentication weaknesses in other components of their security infrastructure.