CVE-2020-4463 in Maximo Asset Management
Summary
by MITRE
IBM Maximo Asset Management 7.6.0.1 and 7.6.0.2 is vulnerable to an XML External Entity Injection (XXE) attack when processing XML data. A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to expose sensitive information or consume memory resources. IBM X-Force ID: 181484.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/06/2020
IBM Maximo Asset Management version 7.6.0.1 and 7.6.0.2 contains a critical XML External Entity Injection vulnerability that allows remote attackers to manipulate XML processing functionality. This vulnerability falls under CWE-611, which specifically addresses XML External Entity Injection flaws in software systems. The flaw exists in the application's XML parser implementation where external entities are not properly sanitized during data processing, creating an attack surface that can be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it enables attackers to access internal system resources and potentially extract sensitive data through crafted XML payloads.
The technical exploitation of this XXE vulnerability occurs when the application processes XML data containing external entity references without proper validation or sanitization. Attackers can construct malicious XML documents that reference external resources, causing the system to fetch and process these external entities. This can lead to information disclosure through entity expansion, where internal file contents or system information becomes accessible. The vulnerability can also be leveraged to perform denial of service attacks by consuming excessive memory resources through recursive entity references or by triggering resource-intensive processing operations.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations using IBM Maximo Asset Management systems. The potential for sensitive information exposure includes access to database credentials, system configurations, and proprietary business data stored within the application environment. Memory consumption issues can lead to system instability and performance degradation, potentially affecting critical asset management operations. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from outside the network perimeter, making traditional network-based security controls insufficient for protection. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1590, which covers reconnaissance activities involving the identification of vulnerabilities in target systems.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including disabling external entity processing in XML parsers, implementing proper input validation for all XML data, and restricting network access to the affected system. The most effective approach involves configuring XML parsers to reject external entity references entirely and implementing strict content filtering mechanisms. Additionally, organizations should consider network segmentation and monitoring for suspicious XML processing activities. IBM has released patches and updates to address this vulnerability, and organizations should apply these immediately. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that the patches do not introduce regressions in existing functionality while maintaining the security posture of the Maximo Asset Management environment.