CVE-2019-4048 in Maximo Asset Management
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Maximo Asset Management 7.6 could allow a physical user of the system to obtain sensitive information from a previous user of the same machine. IBM X-Force ID: 156311.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/28/2023
This vulnerability in IBM Maximo Asset Management version 7.6 represents a critical session management flaw that enables unauthorized information disclosure through improper handling of user contexts. The vulnerability arises from insufficient clearing of sensitive data when transitioning between user sessions on the same system, allowing a malicious physical user to potentially access residual information left by previous users. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of insecure session handling and data persistence issues that can compromise system confidentiality.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves the application failing to properly sanitize memory segments, temporary files, or cached data that contains sensitive information from prior user sessions. When a user logs out or the system transitions between sessions, the application does not adequately overwrite or destroy sensitive data structures that may contain authentication tokens, user credentials, system configurations, or asset management data. This creates a window of opportunity for a physical attacker to exploit the system by examining memory dumps, temporary files, or other residual data structures that retain information from previous user sessions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it does not require network access or remote exploitation, making it accessible through simple physical access to the machine.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks. An attacker with physical access could leverage this flaw to extract sensitive business data, user authentication information, or system configurations that could facilitate further compromise. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the application's security model by creating a persistent threat vector that exists regardless of network-based security controls. This weakness undermines the principle of least privilege and proper access isolation between users, potentially allowing unauthorized access to confidential asset management information, maintenance schedules, or financial data within the Maximo system. The vulnerability's impact is amplified in environments where multiple users share the same physical machine or when systems are not properly secured against physical tampering.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust session cleanup procedures and proper data sanitization mechanisms. Organizations should ensure that all sensitive data is properly overwritten or destroyed when users log out or when session contexts change. The implementation should follow established security standards such as those defined in the CWE-200 category for exposure of sensitive information and CWE-312 for exposure of sensitive data through improper data handling. Security controls should include mandatory data clearing procedures, proper memory management practices, and regular security testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in application code. Additionally, physical security measures should be implemented to prevent unauthorized access to systems running vulnerable applications, as this vulnerability specifically targets scenarios where physical access is possible. The remediation process should involve code-level fixes to ensure that all temporary data structures, memory segments, and cached information are properly cleared between user sessions, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1552 for unsecured credentials and T1005 for data from local system.