CVE-2020-4689 in Security Guardium
Summary
by MITRE • 10/12/2020
IBM Security Guardium 11.2 is vulnerable to CVS Injection. A remote privileged attacker could execute arbitrary commands on the system, caused by improper validation of csv file contents. IBM X-ForceID: 186696.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/18/2020
IBM Security Guardium version 11.2 contains a critical command injection vulnerability that stems from inadequate validation of comma-separated values file contents. This flaw allows a remote attacker with privileged access to execute arbitrary commands on the affected system, potentially leading to complete system compromise and unauthorized data access. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the system processes csv files without proper sanitization of input data, creating an avenue for malicious command execution through carefully crafted csv payloads.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the application's failure to properly validate and sanitize csv file inputs before processing them within the system's command execution framework. When the Guardium system parses csv data, it fails to adequately filter or escape special characters that could be interpreted as command delimiters or execution triggers. This represents a classic command injection vulnerability pattern that aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-94, where user-supplied data is directly incorporated into system commands without proper input validation or sanitization. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only privileged access to exploit, meaning that an attacker who has already gained administrative credentials could leverage this flaw to escalate their privileges further or gain complete system control.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple command execution, as it provides attackers with the ability to manipulate the security monitoring and data protection capabilities that Guardium is designed to provide. An attacker could potentially modify or delete security logs, bypass detection mechanisms, or even inject malicious data into the system's monitoring processes. This compromise directly undermines the core security posture that organizations rely on Guardium to maintain, creating a situation where the very tool meant to protect against threats becomes a vector for exploitation. The vulnerability affects the integrity and availability of the security monitoring infrastructure, potentially allowing attackers to remain undetected while exfiltrating sensitive data or disrupting critical security operations.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates, implementing network segmentation to limit access to the Guardium system, and monitoring for unusual command execution patterns or csv file processing activities. Additional defensive measures should include input validation controls at multiple layers of the application architecture, implementing strict access controls for csv file upload functionality, and conducting regular security assessments of the system's command execution pathways. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter demonstrates the importance of implementing comprehensive input validation and privilege separation controls. Organizations should also consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious command execution patterns and ensure that csv file processing capabilities are restricted to authorized personnel only.