CVE-2021-20428 in Security Guardium
Summary
by MITRE • 05/24/2021
IBM Security Guardium 11.2 could allow a remote attacker to obtain sensitive information when a detailed technical error message is returned in the browser. This information could be used in further attacks against the system. IBM X-Force ID: 196315.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/27/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-20428 affects IBM Security Guardium version 11.2, representing a critical information disclosure flaw that exposes sensitive system details through improperly handled error messages. This vulnerability falls under the category of insufficient logging and error handling, which is classified as CWE-209 in the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The flaw manifests when the application returns detailed technical error messages to web browsers without proper sanitization, creating an information leakage vector that can be exploited by remote attackers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly manage error responses in its web interface components. When system errors occur during user interactions or API calls, the Guardium application generates verbose error messages containing stack traces, internal system paths, database connection details, and potentially sensitive configuration information. These detailed responses are transmitted directly to the client browser without adequate filtering or obfuscation mechanisms, creating a goldmine of information for threat actors seeking to understand the target system's architecture and operational parameters.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability significantly increases the attack surface for remote adversaries who can leverage the leaked information to plan more sophisticated attacks against the Guardium environment. The disclosed technical details may include database schema information, application version numbers, internal network topology, and potential system configuration parameters that could be used for privilege escalation, service enumeration, or targeted exploitation attempts. This information disclosure weakness directly supports the initial access and reconnaissance phases of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically mapping to techniques such as credential access and discovery of system information.
The security implications extend beyond immediate information leakage, as the exposed technical details can facilitate subsequent attacks including but not limited to SQL injection exploitation, cross-site scripting attacks, or service-specific vulnerabilities that might be present in the identified components. Attackers can use the leaked information to tailor their attack vectors specifically to the target environment, making exploitation attempts more likely to succeed and reducing the time required for successful compromise. Organizations relying on IBM Security Guardium for database security monitoring and compliance enforcement face significant risk when this vulnerability remains unpatched, as it undermines the very security controls the system is designed to provide.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive error handling mechanisms that sanitize all error responses before transmission to client applications. This includes configuring the application to return generic error messages to end users while logging detailed technical information securely for administrative purposes. Organizations should also implement proper input validation, output encoding, and comprehensive logging practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other components of their security infrastructure. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify and remediate similar information disclosure issues across the entire technology stack, ensuring adherence to security best practices and reducing the overall risk profile of critical security systems.