CVE-2019-4705 in Security Identity Manager Virtual Appliance
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Security Identity Manager Virtual Appliance 7.0.2 discloses sensitive information to unauthorized users. The information can be used to mount further attacks on the system. IBM X-Force ID: 172015.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/28/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-4705 affects IBM Security Identity Manager Virtual Appliance version 7.0.2, representing a critical information disclosure flaw that exposes sensitive system data to unauthorized parties. This vulnerability resides within the virtual appliance implementation and demonstrates a fundamental weakness in the system's access control mechanisms. The flaw allows attackers to obtain confidential information that could significantly aid in subsequent exploitation attempts, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise security environments where identity management systems serve as critical infrastructure components.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper access controls and insufficient input validation within the virtual appliance's web interface and administrative components. Attackers can leverage this weakness to retrieve sensitive data including configuration details, user credentials, system parameters, and potentially cryptographic keys that are essential for maintaining system integrity and confidentiality. The vulnerability operates at the application level and specifically targets the information disclosure mechanisms that should normally be restricted to authorized administrative users only. This type of flaw typically falls under CWE-200, which describes improper exposure of sensitive information, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege that governs secure system design.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-4705 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the leaked data can be instrumental in mounting more sophisticated attacks against the affected system and its surrounding network infrastructure. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability gains access to critical system information that can be used to identify system configurations, network topology details, and potentially user accounts with elevated privileges. This information leakage creates opportunities for privilege escalation attacks, credential harvesting, and targeted exploitation of other system components. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations using IBM Security Identity Manager Virtual Appliance in production environments where it serves as a central component for identity management and access control.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate application of IBM's official security patches and updates, which typically address the root cause through proper access control enforcement and input validation mechanisms. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the virtual appliance to authorized administrative users only, and consider deploying additional monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized access attempts. Security teams must also review and strengthen their access control policies, ensuring that administrative interfaces are protected by strong authentication mechanisms and that regular security audits are conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1087 Discovery, as attackers use information disclosure to gather intelligence about the target environment for further exploitation.
Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls to monitor and filter requests to the vulnerable components, conducting regular penetration testing to identify similar information disclosure vulnerabilities, and establishing robust incident response procedures that can quickly address unauthorized access attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing automated patch management systems to ensure timely deployment of security updates across all affected systems. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure configuration management and demonstrates how seemingly minor access control flaws can create significant security risks in identity management systems that are critical to enterprise security infrastructure.