CVE-2020-4604 in Security Guardium Insights
Summary
by MITRE • 01/14/2021
IBM Security Guardium Insights 2.0.2 stores user credentials in plain in clear text which can be read by a local privileged user. IBM X-Force ID: 184861.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/13/2021
IBM Security Guardium Insights version 2.0.2 contains a critical security flaw that exposes user credentials through improper storage mechanisms. This vulnerability allows local privileged users to access sensitive authentication information in plain text format, creating a significant risk for organizations relying on this security solution. The flaw represents a fundamental failure in secure credential handling practices and demonstrates poor adherence to established security principles.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly encrypt or obfuscate user authentication credentials during storage operations. When credentials are stored in clear text format, any user with local privileged access can directly read and extract this information without requiring additional authentication or cryptographic breaking techniques. This design flaw directly violates established security standards and best practices for credential management. The vulnerability falls under the category of insecure credential storage as classified by CWE-312, which specifically addresses the exposure of sensitive data through improper storage mechanisms. The weakness creates an attack surface that enables privilege escalation and lateral movement within compromised environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it fundamentally undermines the security posture of organizations using IBM Security Guardium Insights. Local privileged users can leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized access to systems and applications protected by the security solution, potentially leading to complete system compromise. Attackers with local access can extract administrative credentials and use them for persistent access, data exfiltration, or further exploitation within the network. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where the security solution is deployed with elevated privileges, as the local user context may provide sufficient access to read the stored credentials. The risk is amplified when considering that many organizations rely on security tools to protect their most sensitive assets, making this vulnerability a critical threat vector.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability including restricting local privileged access to systems running IBM Security Guardium Insights, implementing proper credential encryption mechanisms, and conducting comprehensive security assessments of all deployed security solutions. The recommended remediation involves upgrading to a patched version of IBM Security Guardium Insights that properly implements secure credential storage practices. Additionally, organizations should enforce principle of least privilege access controls and implement monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized access attempts to sensitive credential storage areas. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following security frameworks such as those outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK matrix, particularly focusing on credential access and privilege escalation techniques. The flaw demonstrates the critical need for secure coding practices and proper security testing throughout the software development lifecycle to prevent such fundamental security weaknesses from reaching production environments.