CVE-2018-1941 in Campaign
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Campaign 9.1.0 and 9.1.2 could allow a local user to obtain admini privileges due to the application not validating access permissions. IBM X-Force ID: 153382.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/13/2023
IBM Campaign versions 9.1.0 and 9.1.2 contain a critical privilege escalation vulnerability that enables local users to obtain administrative privileges through insufficient access permission validation. This flaw resides in the application's authorization mechanisms where proper access controls are not enforced during privilege elevation processes. The vulnerability represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and demonstrates inadequate input validation and access control implementation. The affected IBM Campaign software fails to properly verify user permissions when attempting administrative operations, creating a pathway for unauthorized local users to escalate their privileges without proper authentication or authorization checks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs at the application level where local users can leverage the missing access validation to perform administrative functions. This type of flaw typically falls under CWE-284 which addresses improper access control issues, specifically focusing on insufficient access control mechanisms. The vulnerability creates a privilege escalation vector that allows users with minimal privileges to execute administrative commands and gain full system control. Attackers can exploit this weakness by manipulating the application's internal permission checking routines or by directly invoking administrative functions that should require elevated privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of systems running affected IBM Campaign versions. Local users who exploit this vulnerability can potentially access sensitive data, modify system configurations, install malicious software, and perform other administrative actions that could lead to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on IBM Campaign for marketing automation and customer engagement processes, where unauthorized access to administrative functions could result in data breaches, service disruption, and regulatory compliance violations. Organizations using these vulnerable versions face increased risk of insider threats and external exploitation attempts targeting their marketing automation infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected IBM Campaign installations to the latest supported versions that contain proper access control validation. Organizations should implement comprehensive access control policies and regularly audit user permissions to minimize the impact of potential exploitation. System administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as mandatory access controls, privilege monitoring, and regular security assessments to detect unauthorized privilege escalation attempts. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched systems to ensure that legitimate administrative functions remain operational while eliminating the vulnerability. This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper access control implementation and demonstrates how insufficient validation can create critical security weaknesses that compromise entire system architectures. Organizations should also consider implementing the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques to better understand and defend against such vulnerabilities in their environments.