CVE-2019-4561 in Security Identity Manager
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Security Identity Manager 6.0.0 could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the system, caused by the deserialization of untrusted data. By persuading a victim to visit a specially crafted Web site, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on the system. IBM X-Force ID: 166456.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/26/2024
IBM Security Identity Manager version 6.0.0 contains a critical vulnerability that enables remote code execution through insecure deserialization of untrusted data. This flaw resides in the web application's handling of serialized objects, creating a pathway for attackers to inject malicious code that executes with the privileges of the affected application. The vulnerability specifically affects the web tier component where user input is processed without proper validation or sanitization of serialized data structures.
The technical exploitation occurs when a remote attacker crafts a malicious web request containing serialized data that, when processed by the vulnerable IBM Security Identity Manager application, triggers arbitrary code execution on the target system. This type of vulnerability falls under the common weakness enumeration CWE-502 which specifically addresses deserialization of untrusted data as a critical security flaw. The attack vector requires social engineering to convince victims to visit a malicious website, making this a particularly dangerous vulnerability as it can be delivered through web-based attack vectors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows attackers to gain full control over the affected system, potentially leading to data breaches, privilege escalation, and lateral movement within the network. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to install backdoors, modify authentication mechanisms, or extract sensitive identity management data from the compromised system. The IBM X-Force ID 166456 confirms the severity and provides additional context for security professionals to understand the threat landscape. This vulnerability represents a significant risk to organizations relying on IBM Security Identity Manager for their identity and access management infrastructure.
Organizations should immediately apply the vendor-provided security patches and updates to remediate this vulnerability. Network segmentation and monitoring of web traffic can help detect exploitation attempts. Security teams should implement strict input validation controls and consider deploying web application firewalls to filter malicious serialized data. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and implementing proper deserialization safeguards as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and MITRE ATT&CK framework categories related to deserialization attacks and remote code execution techniques. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications within the organization's attack surface.