CVE-2018-1973 in API Connect
Summary
by MITRE
IBM API Connect 5.0.0.0 through 5.0.8.4 allows a user with limited 'API Administrator level access to give themselves full 'Administrator' level access through the members functionality. IBM X-Force ID: 153914.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/20/2023
This vulnerability exists within IBM API Connect version 5.0.0.0 through 5.0.8.4, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that undermines the system's access control mechanisms. The vulnerability specifically exploits the members functionality within the API management platform, allowing users with only 'API Administrator level access' to escalate their privileges to full 'Administrator' level access. This represents a significant security weakness in the platform's role-based access control implementation, where the boundaries between different privilege levels have been improperly enforced. The flaw demonstrates a failure in the system's authorization checks, enabling unauthorized privilege elevation through legitimate administrative functions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation within the members management interface, where the system fails to properly verify whether a user has the necessary authorization to grant administrative privileges to themselves or other users. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and specifically relates to inadequate privilege management within the application's user management subsystem. The vulnerability operates by leveraging the legitimate members functionality to manipulate access control lists or user role assignments, effectively bypassing the intended security controls that should prevent users from escalating their own privileges beyond their assigned level.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows attackers with minimal privileges to gain full administrative control over the API management platform. This compromise enables unauthorized users to modify or delete API configurations, access sensitive data, manipulate user accounts, and potentially gain access to underlying systems that depend on the API Connect platform. The vulnerability essentially provides a backdoor path for privilege escalation that could be exploited by both internal malicious actors and external attackers who have gained initial access to the system. Organizations using this version of IBM API Connect face significant risk of complete system compromise and data breaches, particularly in environments where API management serves as a critical component of enterprise infrastructure.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to IBM API Connect versions 5.0.8.5 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address this privilege escalation vulnerability. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring of user account modifications and privilege changes within the API Connect environment to detect potential exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include reviewing existing user permissions and ensuring that only authorized personnel maintain administrative access levels. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive access control reviews to identify any potential unauthorized privilege escalations that may have already occurred. This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper access control implementation and the need for regular security assessments of enterprise API management platforms, particularly those handling sensitive data and critical business functions. The incident should be logged in accordance with security incident response protocols and potentially reported to relevant security authorities as part of the organization's compliance requirements.