CVE-2018-1756 in Security Identity Governance
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Security Identity Governance and Intelligence 5.2.3.2 and 5.2.4 is vulnerable to SQL injection. A remote attacker could send specially-crafted SQL statements, which could allow the attacker to view, information in the back-end database. IBM X-Force ID: 148599.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/29/2025
IBM Security Identity Governance and Intelligence versions 5.2.3.2 and 5.2.4 contain a critical SQL injection vulnerability that exposes the underlying database to unauthorized access. This vulnerability resides in the application's handling of user input within database queries, where insufficient input validation and sanitization allows malicious actors to inject arbitrary SQL commands. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate database operations without authentication, potentially gaining access to sensitive identity and governance data stored within the system's backend databases.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper parameter handling within the application's database interaction layer. When user-supplied data is directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper escaping or parameterization, attackers can manipulate the intended query execution flow. This type of vulnerability maps directly to CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws in software applications. The attack vector is particularly dangerous as it requires no authentication credentials to exploit, making it accessible to any remote attacker who can interact with the application's interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it could enable attackers to perform destructive operations on the database including data modification, deletion, or unauthorized privilege escalation. Identity governance systems typically contain highly sensitive information including user credentials, access rights, and authentication records that could be leveraged for further attacks within the enterprise network. The vulnerability could facilitate lateral movement attacks, privilege escalation, and persistent access to critical identity infrastructure, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1046 for network service scanning.
Organizations utilizing these vulnerable versions face significant risk of unauthorized data access and potential system compromise. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of identity governance operations, potentially undermining the integrity of access control mechanisms that the system is designed to protect. IBM has released patches and updates to address this vulnerability, and organizations should immediately implement these security fixes to prevent exploitation. Additional mitigations include network segmentation, database access controls, and monitoring for suspicious SQL query patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and input validation controls to reduce the attack surface and detect potential exploitation attempts against similar vulnerabilities in other components of the identity infrastructure ecosystem.