CVE-2018-1805 in Security Access Manager Appliance
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Security Access Manager Appliance 9.0.1.0, 9.0.2.0, 9.0.3.0, 9.0.4.0, and 9.0.5.0 generates an error message that includes sensitive information about its environment, users, or associated data. IBM X-Force ID: 149704.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/19/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1805 affects IBM Security Access Manager Appliances version 9.0.1.0 through 9.0.5.0, representing a critical information disclosure flaw that exposes sensitive system details through improperly handled error messages. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-209 category of "Error Message Information Disclosure" and represents a significant security risk that can provide attackers with valuable intelligence about the target environment. The affected appliance generates error responses that inadvertently reveal internal system information, user details, or data structures that should remain confidential. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it provides attackers with insights that can be leveraged for subsequent attacks, making it a prime target for exploitation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the appliance's failure to properly sanitize error messages before returning them to client applications or users. When the system encounters an error condition, it constructs error responses that contain detailed information about the internal state, user accounts, system configuration, or data access patterns. This information disclosure occurs without proper filtering or obfuscation mechanisms, allowing attackers to extract sensitive details that could include user identifiers, system paths, database structures, or other operational information. The vulnerability manifests as a failure to implement proper input validation and error handling protocols that would normally mask such sensitive information from external exposure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it significantly weakens the overall security posture of environments protected by these appliances. Attackers who can access these error messages can use the disclosed information to craft more sophisticated attacks, potentially leading to privilege escalation, unauthorized access to user accounts, or targeted exploitation of system weaknesses. The vulnerability creates an information leak that can be exploited in conjunction with other attack vectors, making it particularly dangerous in complex enterprise environments where access manager appliances control critical authentication and authorization functions. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1212, which involves accessing system information to understand the environment and identify potential attack paths.
Organizations should prioritize immediate mitigation of this vulnerability through official IBM security patches and updates, as the disclosed information can be leveraged for advanced persistent threats. The recommended approach includes applying the vendor-provided security fixes, implementing proper error handling configurations that sanitize all error responses, and conducting thorough security assessments to identify any potential exploitation that may have already occurred. Additional defensive measures should include network monitoring for unusual error message patterns, implementation of web application firewalls to filter sensitive information in responses, and regular security audits to ensure that all error handling mechanisms properly protect system information. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper error message management and aligns with industry best practices outlined in standards such as OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks for preventing information disclosure attacks.