CVE-2018-1959 in Security Identity Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Security Identity Manager 7.0.1 Virtual Appliance contains hard-coded credentials, such as a password or cryptographic key, which it uses for its own inbound authentication, outbound communication to external components, or encryption of internal data. IBM X-Force ID: 153633.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/03/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1959 affects IBM Security Identity Manager 7.0.1 Virtual Appliance and represents a critical security flaw involving hard-coded credentials within the system. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-798 category, which specifically addresses the use of hard-coded credentials in software applications. The vulnerability exists because the virtual appliance contains embedded authentication credentials that are hardcoded into the system during its development phase, rather than being dynamically generated or securely stored in a configuration management system. These hard-coded credentials serve multiple purposes within the appliance's architecture including inbound authentication mechanisms, outbound communication with external components, and encryption of internal data storage. The presence of such credentials creates a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to gain unauthorized access to the system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows attackers to obtain the hardcoded credentials through various means including reverse engineering the virtual appliance image, examining configuration files, or analyzing network traffic patterns. Once obtained, these credentials provide attackers with legitimate access to the system's authentication mechanisms, enabling them to establish unauthorized connections with external components and potentially decrypt sensitive data stored within the appliance. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access as the compromised credentials may also allow for privilege escalation attacks, lateral movement within the network, and potential data exfiltration from the identity management system. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where the virtual appliance communicates with other systems using the hardcoded credentials for authentication purposes, creating a chain of potential compromise throughout the identity infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and can result in complete compromise of the identity management system, leading to unauthorized access to user identities, privileged accounts, and sensitive authentication data. Organizations using the affected IBM Security Identity Manager appliance may experience unauthorized access to their identity management services, potentially allowing attackers to impersonate legitimate users or administrators. The vulnerability also creates risks for data integrity and confidentiality as the compromised credentials can be used to decrypt internal data or establish unauthorized communication channels with external systems. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where identity management systems serve as critical infrastructure components for access control and authentication services across multiple applications and systems. The attack surface is further expanded when considering that the hardcoded credentials may be used for multiple purposes including system administration, database connections, and integration with external identity providers.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action from affected organizations to address the hardcoded credential issue. The primary recommendation involves applying the official IBM security patches and updates that resolve this specific vulnerability by removing or properly managing the hardcoded credentials. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of credential compromise, ensuring that even if credentials are obtained, attackers cannot easily move laterally within the network. Configuration management practices should be enhanced to prevent future occurrences of similar vulnerabilities, including implementing secure credential storage mechanisms and avoiding hardcoded values in production systems. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar hardcoded credential issues throughout the organization's infrastructure. The remediation process should also include monitoring for unauthorized access attempts and implementing robust logging and alerting mechanisms to detect potential exploitation of this vulnerability. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls and regular credential rotation practices to minimize the impact of any potential credential compromise. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to industry standards such as those recommended by the Center for Internet Security and NIST guidelines for secure software development.