CVE-2018-1993 in Spectrum Scale
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Spectrum Scale (GPFS) 4.1.1, 4.2.0, 4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.3, and 5.0.0 where the use of Local Read Only Cache (LROC) is enabled may caused read operation on a file to return data from a different file. IBM X-Force ID: 154440.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/23/2023
IBM Spectrum Scale represents a high-performance distributed file system that serves critical enterprise workloads across various industries. The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1993 specifically affects versions 4.1.1 through 5.0.0 when the Local Read Only Cache (LROC) feature is enabled. This issue manifests as a data integrity problem where read operations on files can return data from different files within the same file system. The underlying technical flaw stems from improper cache management mechanisms that fail to maintain proper file identity mapping when caching read-only file data locally. This vulnerability falls under CWE-200, Information Exposure, and more specifically CWE-20, Improper Input Validation, as the system does not properly validate or isolate cache entries to ensure data consistency. The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations relying on data integrity guarantees from their storage systems, particularly in scientific computing, financial services, and research environments where accurate data retrieval is paramount. When LROC is enabled, the system caches file data locally to improve read performance, but the cache invalidation and lookup mechanisms do not properly maintain file boundaries, leading to potential data leakage between files. This creates a scenario where malicious actors or system errors could access unauthorized data by triggering specific read patterns that exploit the cache inconsistency. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, Phishing, and T1070, Indicator Removal, as it could enable data exfiltration through cache-based information leakage without obvious system indicators. Organizations utilizing IBM Spectrum Scale in environments where data confidentiality and integrity are critical must consider immediate mitigation strategies including disabling LROC functionality until a patched version is deployed. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in cache management protocols within distributed storage systems and highlights the importance of proper cache isolation mechanisms in preventing cross-file data exposure. System administrators should implement monitoring for unusual read patterns that might indicate cache corruption or unauthorized data access attempts, while also ensuring that all systems are updated to versions that address this specific cache management vulnerability.