CVE-2019-4478 in Maximo Asset Management
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Maximo Asset Management 7.6.0, and 7.6.1 could allow an authenticated user to obtain highly sensitive information that they should not normally have access to. IBM X-Force ID: 163998.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/16/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-4478 affects IBM Maximo Asset Management versions 7.6.0 and 7.6.1, representing a significant information disclosure flaw that undermines the system's access control mechanisms. This vulnerability specifically targets the authentication and authorization framework within the Maximo platform, allowing authenticated users to bypass normal security restrictions and access sensitive data that should be restricted to authorized personnel only. The flaw exists within the application's permission model implementation, where proper access controls fail to adequately validate user privileges during data retrieval operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control enforcement within the Maximo application's data access layers. When authenticated users make requests to retrieve asset management information, the system fails to properly verify whether the requesting user has appropriate authorization levels for the specific data being accessed. This weakness enables privilege escalation through carefully crafted requests that exploit gaps in the authorization checking process. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-284 which specifically addresses improper access control issues, where an attacker can gain unauthorized access to resources through insufficient authorization checks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it can lead to comprehensive compromise of asset management information including sensitive operational data, financial records, maintenance schedules, and critical infrastructure details. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could potentially access confidential information about assets, work orders, inventory levels, and personnel assignments that should remain restricted to specific user roles. This information disclosure could facilitate further attacks, enable competitive intelligence gathering, or compromise operational security. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the Maximo platform's information security posture, potentially leading to business disruption and regulatory compliance violations.
Organizations utilizing affected IBM Maximo versions should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates, reviewing and strengthening access control policies, and conducting comprehensive security assessments of their Maximo implementations. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring mechanisms to detect unusual data access patterns and establish more rigorous audit trails for sensitive information access. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and the necessity of thorough security testing for enterprise asset management systems. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and additional access controls to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. This flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation, as it allows authenticated users to access unauthorized data through insufficient access controls.