CVE-2018-9028 in Privileged Access Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Weak cryptography used for passwords in CA Privileged Access Manager 2.x reduces the complexity for password cracking.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/20/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-9028 affects CA Privileged Access Manager version 2.x systems where weak cryptographic algorithms are employed for password storage and handling. This weakness fundamentally undermines the security posture of privileged access management systems that rely on strong authentication mechanisms to protect sensitive network resources and administrative credentials. The implementation of insufficient cryptographic practices creates a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise privileged accounts and gain unauthorized access to critical infrastructure components.
The technical flaw centers on the use of inadequate cryptographic primitives for password hashing and encryption within the CA Privileged Access Manager framework. When systems employ weak cryptographic functions, they become vulnerable to various password cracking techniques including rainbow table attacks, brute force methodologies, and dictionary-based approaches that can rapidly reverse engineer stored credentials. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-327 which addresses the use of weak cryptographic algorithms and CWE-328 which focuses on the use of weak hashing algorithms. The implementation fails to meet industry standards for secure password storage as outlined in NIST Special Publication 800-63B which mandates the use of strong cryptographic hashing functions such as bcrypt, scrypt, or PBKDF2 for password protection.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft to encompass broader security compromise of privileged access environments. Attackers who successfully crack passwords can escalate privileges within the network, access sensitive data repositories, modify system configurations, and potentially establish persistent access points through compromised administrative accounts. This weakness particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on privileged access management solutions for their security infrastructure, as the compromise of these systems can lead to cascading security failures throughout the enterprise network. The vulnerability creates opportunities for lateral movement within networks and can facilitate advanced persistent threat campaigns as attackers gain access to high-value targets through weakened authentication mechanisms.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including the replacement of affected CA Privileged Access Manager versions with patched releases that incorporate strong cryptographic standards. System administrators must conduct comprehensive password resets across all privileged accounts and implement multi-factor authentication mechanisms to reduce the impact of potential credential compromise. The remediation process should include the adoption of industry best practices for password security as defined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework for credential access techniques, particularly focusing on the prevention of password cracking attacks through the implementation of robust cryptographic protections. Additionally, organizations should perform regular security assessments to identify similar weak cryptographic implementations throughout their infrastructure and ensure compliance with established security standards including those defined by NIST and ISO/IEC 27001 for cryptographic controls and password management practices.