CVE-2018-1822 in FlashSystem 900
Summary
by MITRE
IBM FlashSystem 900 product GUI allows a specially crafted attack to bypass the authentication requirements of the system, resulting in the ability to remotely change the superuser password. This can be used by an attacker to gain administrative control or to deny service. IBM X-Force ID: 150296.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/30/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1822 affects IBM FlashSystem 900 products and represents a critical authentication bypass flaw that undermines the security posture of enterprise storage systems. This vulnerability resides within the graphical user interface component of the FlashSystem 900, which serves as the primary management interface for administrators to configure and monitor storage infrastructure. The flaw enables attackers to circumvent the authentication mechanisms that are designed to protect administrative functions, specifically targeting the superuser password change functionality. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with the capability to assume full administrative privileges, fundamentally compromising the integrity and availability of the storage system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and authentication checks within the GUI component of the FlashSystem 900. Attackers can craft specially formatted requests that exploit weaknesses in the authentication flow, allowing them to bypass the standard authentication requirements without proper credentials. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper handling of authentication factors, and represents a classic example of authentication bypass through flawed session management or credential validation. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it enables remote exploitation, meaning that an attacker does not require physical access or network proximity to the system. The vulnerability specifically targets the superuser password change functionality, which is a privileged operation that should be strictly protected and require multi-factor authentication or additional verification steps.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over the affected storage system. Once an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can modify system configurations, access sensitive data stored on the storage array, and potentially disrupt services by modifying critical system parameters. The ability to remotely change superuser passwords creates a persistent backdoor that can be used for ongoing unauthorized access, making the compromise particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where storage systems house critical business data. Additionally, the vulnerability can be leveraged for denial of service attacks by modifying system settings that affect availability, or for data exfiltration by accessing and manipulating stored information. This vulnerability directly impacts the CIA triad, compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the storage infrastructure.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant IBM security patches and updates that address the authentication bypass flaw. Network segmentation should be implemented to limit access to the FlashSystem 900 management interfaces, and additional authentication controls such as multi-factor authentication should be enforced where possible. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers legitimate credentials and valid accounts, as attackers can leverage this flaw to establish persistent access using administrative privileges. Monitoring and logging should be enhanced to detect unusual authentication patterns or password change activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar authentication bypass vulnerabilities in other storage systems and network infrastructure components. Organizations should also consider implementing network access controls and firewall rules that restrict access to management interfaces to only trusted administrative workstations, reducing the attack surface for remote exploitation attempts.